Case Study: Susannah Whipps Lee achieves a 10-point victory and 150% higher turnout to unseat an incumbent with NationBuilder

How to surprise everyone and beat the odds on election day

Susannah Whipps Lee, who lost a close race in 2012, faced the challenge of communicating efficiently with voters and turning supporters out to the polls in her 2014 bid for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Her campaign used NationBuilder to consolidate voter data, target likely supporters, and focus limited field resources on the conversations that increase turnout.

Using NationBuilder’s database, filters, mapping and tagging, the campaign planned smarter canvassing routes, tracked one-on-one conversations, and scheduled reminder email blasts to boost turnout. NationBuilder helped deliver measurable gains: 150% more primary voters at the polls than forecast, a 10-point victory margin that unseated the incumbent, and one of only two successful incumbent defeats among over 50 contested Massachusetts races in 2014.