Case Study: Erik Johnson Wins Council Seat in Saint Albans, VT

On May 2, 2024, GoodParty.org Certified candidate Erik Johnson won his election for city council in Saint Albans, Vermont. Johnson is now serving his community as the city council member for Ward 5, which includes the southern end of Saint Albans.

Johnson’s non-partisan campaign was powered in part by GoodParty.org’s free campaign tools. Johnson shared with GoodParty.org why he feels passionate about bringing truly non-partisan representation to Saint Albans.

“This was an awesome opportunity to go for a non-partisan role, so I can see the entire field and understand it,” Johnson said. “I love GoodParty.org because it's focusing on that third voice. We have these two parties; let's get that third party in there. Let's get that independent voice going. I've always been more of an independent, I would say probably a progressive independent, than I have been a Democrat or Republican, because I think there's more than one story to be told.”

As a non-partisan office holder, Johnson has the chance to stand up for his own values and for the needs of his community, rather than for any one political party’s agenda.

“I hear a lot that the state Democratic Party wants us to do this, or the state Democratic Party wants us to do that. I really felt like that would be limiting to me, because I want to be creative. I want to go down my path that works for me,” Johnson said. “I think by going with a party line and having that puppeteer control over you, you can still be an independent voice, but you're limited by these rules that are set in place. I think being truly independent, you can take an approach that's more befitting of what you believe in and what you're lining up with.”

This year’s election for city council in Ward 5 was contested up until the very end of the race. Johnson said that GoodParty.org’s campaign tools and support helped him navigate his city’s changing political landscape.

“GoodParty.org definitely helped me there as far as not having to pull in any type of campaign manager or marketing manager. We were a small campaign, and people were surprised I put so much effort into it — but as my mother always taught me, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing,” Johnson said.

Multiple features of GoodParty.org’s campaign tools helped power Johnson’s campaign to victory. Johnson said the AI campaign content generators, resource library, and campaign strategy support proved especially helpful.

“What GoodParty.org does really well is the AI campaign tool that helps form your campaign to what you're doing,” Johnson said. “I utilized that a bit. The bigger strengths for me from the tool was the resource library and the campaign strategy piece, looking at those roles that I would normally have in a bigger campaign. Let's say if I was running for council in New York City versus small-town Saint Albans, what other things was I not paying attention to that would be important? I don't have a finance manager, so I had to do that myself. I had to learn about state campaign financing. I've been a data analyst, so that was easy, but I didn't think about that with regards to the campaign. These kinds of things that you had in here had awesome, short, concise descriptions of what to do with them and what they're supposed to be doing. That was a huge win for me.”

Johnson said GoodParty.org’s resources helped him do more without hiring additional campaign staff.

“Seeing the fact that GoodParty.org even tells you things like, ‘Hey, don't forget your SEO keywords on your website,’ they're not just a campaign tool. They're also a digital development tool. They're there to help you with both aspects. You can hire all the people in the world and still have to need one more person to fill in all the things that GoodParty.org already has,” Johnson said.

Originally, Johnson decided to run for office because he wanted to make real progress for Saint Albans. Now, as an elected city council member, he has the opportunity to address the community’s top issues, including the local economy and public health and safety.

While addressing these issues, Johnson said he is committed to listening to the community and considering all perspectives.

“I might come in with a bias for one thing or another, but I try to put those aside and listen to both perspectives,” he said. “I have my beliefs, I have my stance, and I'll still back up to that, but you represent a body of people. One of the things I've been trying to do is reach out to my community.”

Johnson is one of many GoodParty.org Certified civic leaders across the nation who are dedicated to truly representing their communities. These leaders are standing up for their constituents, not for party agendas.

“Anyone that uses GoodParty.org is hopefully focused on bringing that third voice to the table,” Johnson said. “Just by bringing that third voice, you're bringing that perspective and that alternative view of what's happening in the world. In today's world, especially with how far the parties have split in the last six or eight years, I think it's needed now more than ever to have that third voice. These people almost act as not moderators but bridges to help bring the two sides back together. I think that's important, and GoodParty.org is the kind of tool to help you get started on that.”

GoodParty.org’s free campaign tools and resources are available for independent and non-partisan candidates across the United States. Learn how you can get access to our full suite of resources today!