Overview
In 2004, Josh Shapiro, a former Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Joe Hoeffel, mounted an uphill battle for this Pennsylvania state house seat. The 153rd District is located in Montgomery County, a crucial “swing area,” where voter registration favors Republicans by 5%.
The Challenge
Shapiro faced Jon Fox, a former Republican Member of Congress with very high name recognition. Fox had previously held this State House seat before moving on to the County Commission and then U.S. Congress. Polling showed Fox with a 65% favorable rating and 94% name identification. To beat Fox, Shapiro had to convince an overwhelming number of Democrats, while also appealing to independent-minded Republican voters.
The Result
Kennedy Communications designed an 18 piece mail program that highlighted Shapiro’s fresh ideas while portraying Fox as a tired politician simply running for another office. While initial polling had shown Shapiro to be largely unknown and trailing Fox by 17 points, Josh Shapiro ultimately scored a stunning 10 point victory.