Ricky Hurtado 2020 campaign: Empowing A Candidate to Speak their truth

We focused on building a winning coalition in North Carolina's HD 63 by leveraging the district’s diversity and under performing Democratic advantage. We centered our strategy on Ricky Hurtado’s story and record, using values-driven messaging to connect with voters. Our goal was to activate our underperforming base while reaching out to persuadable white and unaffiliated voters. Every tactic was informed by local realities and recent election results.

The district covered northeastern Alamance County and was home to a diverse electorate. Voters of color made up 37% of the district’s registered voters. Turnout was projected at 67%, making every vote critical. Our targeting prioritized these key communities and identified underperforming Democratic leaning voters and independent, middle partisan, and leaning GOP women. Our challenge was to flip a district Donald Trump had won by more than 2.5% just four years before.

Polling indicated that both candidates had strong support, with Hurtado having a slight edge. Hurtado held an advantage among POC and Democratic voters but lagged with white and unaffiliated voters. Our positive messaging focused on Hurtado’s personal story and core values. In contrast, our negative messaging focused on the opposition being a typical politician that was not someone voters could trust in a crisis.

CXC used a sequenced mail program to tell Hurtado’s story and draw sharp contrasts with the opposition. Positive mailers focused on education, health care, and reproductive rights. Negative mailers highlighted the opposition's past votes and priorities. Each piece was timed to boost engagement and turnout. Special attention was given to Hispanic and African American voters.

Activation efforts targeted low-turnout voters, especially in Hispanic and African American communities. We used targeted outreach and trusted messengers to increase participation. Democrats and persuadable unaffiliated voters were also prioritized. Every action was crafted to maximize votes where they mattered most.

Hurtado’s narrow win in 2020 proved that persuasion was not simply an A vs. B battle. Our commitment to activation early was decisive. Mobilizing every segment of our coalition proved more effective than focusing solely on swing voters. Data-driven shifts in messaging and outreach moved the needle. Disciplined execution of mail and mobilization programs delivered results. These lessons shaped our strategy—and will guide future campaigns in similar districts.