How 5 Independent Candidates Used Voter Data to Win Elections

Voter data allows political campaigns to target and reach voters effectively. Whether your campaign uses the voter file for canvassing, digital outreach, or phone banking, having access to accurate data can make all the difference in a competitive race.

In this guide, we’ll explore why having access to voter data is important for Independent campaigns, along with five recent examples of how winning Independent candidates used the voter file. Read on to learn how voter data can level up your campaign and how you can get access to data at an affordable price.

How Local and Independent Campaigns Use Voter Data to Reach Their Audiences

Candidates can get access to voter data by purchasing the voter file for their area. A voter file contains detailed information about the registered voters within a geographic area. It typically includes data such as voters’ names, addresses, party affiliation, voting history, and demographic details. 

Here are five examples of how local and Independent campaigns can use voter data:

• Door Knocking: Local candidates can use voter data to prioritize door knocking in neighborhoods with high voter turnout and high numbers of likely supporters.

• Tailored Messaging: Having access to demographic data, such as voters’ ages or preferred language, lets candidates personalize the messaging they send to different groups of voters. 

• Digital Advertising: Using voter data, local candidates can run geo-targeted online ads or boost social media posts in specific areas.

• Event Planning: Once candidates locate their key voting blocs, they can strategically plan campaign events in areas with higher concentrations of potential supporters.

• Early and Absentee Voting Campaigns: Candidates can use the voter file to identify voters who typically vote early or by absentee ballot. They can then send digital reminders or targeted direct mail to these voters to encourage participation in elections.

Overall, the voter file is crucial for running efficient, data-driven campaigns. Accurate data allows candidates to connect with voters strategically and build the support they need to win elections.

How 5 Independent Candidates Used the Voter File to Win Elections in 2024

Let’s explore how five local Independent candidates used voter data to help win their elections on Nov. 5, 2024:

#1: Christiaan VandenHeuvel

Office: School board member

Location: Livermore, California

Election Result: Won with 15,183 votes

Christiaan VandenHeuvel won a seat on his local school board after earning 23% of the vote in a six-way race. VandenHeuvel told GoodParty.org that he decided to run for school board to provide better non-partisan representation for the district.

“I wanted to be a voice of reason and pragmatism and come down the middle and say, ‘Let's all gather around the table, and stop building tall fences and instead build longer tables,’” VandenHeuvel said.

VandenHeuvel accessed voter data through GoodParty.org, empowering his campaign to strategically target voters while door knocking.

“The biggest momentum shift I felt was after GoodParty.org gave me a way to canvass and to know which doors to knock on,” he said. “I started meeting voters, talking with them, and hearing them going, ‘Yes, I've heard about you. You're the person that we all support here. We've got five voters in this house and we're all voting for you.’ When you hear that over and over again, it makes you go, ‘Okay, wait, this could actually happen.’”

VandenHeuvel said that door knocking was the most rewarding part of his campaign.

“To hear people's concerns, I think canvassing is a must. I wish I would have started much, much earlier for my own education and for my own understanding of what the voters were looking for and which questions they ask the most often, so that I could sharpen my approach to the tension that they feel in whatever election we're going into. I think that would have been super helpful,” VandenHeuvel said.

#2: Monica Radyko

Office: School board member

Location: Clinton Township, Michigan

Election Result: Won with 14,805 votes

Monica Radyko earned 19% of the vote in another six-way school board race, earning a seat on the Chippewa Valley Schools Board. Like Christiaan VandenHeuvel, Radyko relied on GoodParty.org for affordable access to voter data.

This was Radyko’s second time running for school board.

“The voter data was the best thing, because last time when I ran, we could not find that anywhere. No one would give us a list,” Radyko said. 

Radyko used the voter file to target voters in specific areas while sending out peer-to-peer (P2P) text messages.

“We used the voter list to target certain areas,” she said. “Since I ran last time, I had the data of which areas I didn't do so well in, so we sent a few text messages to those areas, just because I unfortunately didn't have enough for mailers to hit all those absentee ballots.”

This more strategic approach allowed Radyko to reach absentee voters, a group her campaign failed to fully contact during her previous run for office.

“Last time when I ran, I really missed out on those absentee votes,” Radyko said. “We just didn't target them. We ran as a slate last time. This time I ran solo, and I know hitting those absentee voters helped, because I saw the number this time compared to last time, and my number went way up in the absentee voting.”

#3: Taylor Hubbard

Office: Mayor

Location: Chaska, Minnesota

Election Result: Won with 164 votes

Taylor Hubbard won Chaska, Minnesota’s mayoral election with 67% of the vote. Following her  victory, Hubbard has transitioned from her former role as a city council member to the mayor’s office.

Hubbard told GoodParty.org that she used the voter file to inform her outreach strategy during door knocking.

“That was very helpful, to be able to determine who lived where and if they voted in the last  general election,” she said.

Hubbard said that door knocking was a key part of her campaign’s success. Now, as the new mayor of Chaska, she is focusing on moving her community forward.

“It's about working together with people to make sure that we're bringing all the stakeholders in, hearing what they're feeling the important things are, and trying to create solutions,” Hubbard said.

#4: Rowena Chiu

Office: School board member

Location: Palo Alto, California

Election Result: Won with 18,190 votes

Rowena Chiu placed first in a five-way race for school board in Palo Alto, California. Chiu told GoodParty.org that she decided to run for office after feeling unheard as a parent advocate.

“I've been working as a parent advocate for a while,” Chiu said. “I've been a PTA president for the last five years. That's half a decade of parent advocacy about various issues. I would say that I felt very frustrated not being heard from the outside, and now I decided to step up and try and change things from the inside.”

Chiu’s voter outreach strategy involved door knocking, community events, phone banking, text banking, and social media. She said her team used voter data for phone banking, text banking, and sending virtual newsletters. 

Their efforts paid off, with Chiu pulling ahead in the second half of the race.

“I was really surprised because I was the underdog when I started, and I ended up the frontrunner for the whole of the second half of the campaign,” Chiu said. “I think it's a combination of being in the right place at the right time. It just happened that my policy hit a raw nerve that people in this district have felt was underrepresented for a while.”

In addition to voter data, Chiu said that volunteers were an essential part of her campaign.

“It was a grassroots campaign, so the volunteers were by far my most valuable resource,” Chiu said.

#5: Adam Khosroabadi 

Office: City council member

Location: Milwaukie, Oregon

Election Result: Won with 5,479 votes

Adam Khosroabadi earned a seat on Milwaukie, Oregon’s city council with 58% of the vote. 

Khosroabadi said he first decided to run for office in 2020.

“It was a combination of 2020 and January 6th that was the nail in the coffin that solidified my decision,” he said. “Before this, I was coaching football at a Division 1 university, and I never thought I was going to get into politics until I was old, wrinkly, and gray. My goal was to go to the NFL. Then, once COVID happened and I saw nationwide what was happening and the partisan politics that were at play, I couldn't recognize who we were. I decided to run in 2020, initially, and did not win that race. I was actually overpowered by a partisan party in a non-partisan race. I stood and I ended up being appointed in 2022.”

During his latest campaign, Khosroabadi leaned on GoodParty.org for voter data, SMS messaging, and campaign support.

“You guys were like my campaign team. I leaned on the tools heavily because that was the only thing that I had available. I didn't lean on any party resources,” Khosroabadi said. “I had some good endorsements, but the outreach was done primarily through the voter pamphlet statement, the text messages that I used, and the access to the voter file that you guys provided.”

Khosroabadi said voter data was one of the most valuable parts of GoodParty.org’s offerings.

“With the AI tools on the platform, the voter list, and the data, being able to go Pro for 10 bucks was just a no-brainer,” he said. “Without you guys texting, I don't know if I would have won this race.”

How to Get Voter Data for Your Independent Campaign

Voter data can often be difficult to access for Independent and non-partisan campaigns. That’s why GoodParty.org is proud to offer affordable voter data for Independent, non-partisan, and third-party campaigns across the country.

Along with voter data, you can get access to SMS/MMS messaging support and one-on-one guidance from an expert political associate. Plus, become part of a community of candidates who are learning how to run data-driven campaigns through live webinars and free online resources.

Ready to learn how? Explore the benefits of GoodParty.org Pro today, or book a meeting with our team to talk about all of GoodParty.org’s offerings for local candidates.