Case Study: 2014 NC HD-12

Rep. Alma Adams

Stanford Campaigns’ research helped set our client apart to win a seven-candidate primary.

In 2014, North Carolina state representative Alma Adams hired us to help her congressional campaign in a crowded special election to replace Mel Watt. The primary field largely agreed on most issues and it was difficult to find separation. Our research showed that two other state legislators supported school vouchers, while Alma Adams did not. During a debate, her top opponent denied supporting school vouchers, at which point Rep. Adams used our prep work to read off a litany of voucher bills he had previously supported.

Despite local Democratic operatives saying it was "impossible" to win the primary without going to a runoff, Adams garnered 43 percent of the vote, putting her above the 40 percent threshold necessary to win without a runoff election. Adams won the general election as well, and was the second African-American woman ever in North Carolina to be elected to Congress.