Pat Ryan for Congress

Strategic campaign communications

The Challenge

The NY-18 special election was the first Democrat-vs-Republican election after the Dobbs ruling. Pundits saw Democrats as facing an uphill battle in both the special and November general election given the seemingly much higher salience of crime and inflation compared to reproductive rights and democracy—especially considering the New York media market.

The Strategy

Without equivocating or pulling any punches, our communications strategy was clear: put abortion rights front and center. We tailored a pro-choice message to Pat’s unique experience, highlighting his military service and connecting the issue to broader themes of freedom and patriotism. This, in turn, tied into Pat’s message on economic issues: standing up for regular Americans against big corporations and their Republican allies. During the general election, when crime and inflation became more salient, we highlighted Pat’s record as Ulster County executive, standing up to greedy corporations and enhancing public safety, which negated right-wing attacks.

Our freedom-focused abortion rights message set the tone both nationally and in New York and paved the way for successful pro-choice ballot initiatives in red, blue, and purple states during the midterms. Most importantly, Pat won his special election, turning a sleepy summer race into a national bellwether. And in the fall, he was the only Democrat to win a competitive House race in the New York suburbs, during a cycle where Republicans flipped four seats in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island.