Underdog Wins with Grassroots and a $1K Budget

Carl W. Edwards is co-founder of the Tea Party of Cattaraugus County in southwestern New York. He and his group campaigned hard for conservative candidates in 2010. But in 2011, Edwards decided it was time to get even more involved—he stepped up to run for county legislature. With a three-way race and a successful local politician as the incumbent, Edwards was the clear underdog in the race.

But Edwards and his campaign ran using the principles he learned from the American Majority training they had taken since the year before. Edwards defied the odds, and that November won a seat in the Cattaraugus County, NY legislature.

With a budget of less than $1,000, Edwards had to rely on personal community outreach. Starting after Labor Day, he went door to door, and kept knocking until the election. A campaign based on personal contact wound up beating the one that neglected grassroots.