Our track record of using cutting edge strategies to to attract voter support for our candidates and campaigns is
singular; McLaughlin & Associates has helped elect thousands of candidates to local, state and national offices. We’ve analyzed tens of thousands of public opinion surveys and more importantly, used this research and data to develop winning strategic messages. We can help you gain:
- An important strategic edge in the analysis of the information and results
- A creative edge to help develop your research and then to communicate the results
- A technological edge for reliable, accurate, and timely results
Track Record
Our track record of using cutting edge strategies to to attract voter support for our candidates and campaigns is
singular
Working as either the pollster or strategic consultant, these are just some examples of how McLaughlin & Associates helped strong Republican candidates develop exciting and winning messages:
2014 -Highlights among our campaigns included:
Governor Nathan Deal and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle led a Republican sweep of every statewide office in Georgia.
Re-elected the following incumbent Republican members of Congress: Robert Aderholt (AL CD 4) * Doug Collins (GA CD 9) * Ander Crenshaw (FL CD 4) Mario Diaz-Balart (FL CD 25) * Renee Ellmers (NC CD 2) * Richard Hanna (NY CD 22) George Holding (NC CD 13) * David Jolly (FL CD 13) * Peter King (NY CD 2) Robert Pittenger (NC CD 9) * Mike Rogers (AL CD 3)
Helped to start the Republican momentum by assisting Congressman David Jolly (FL CD 13) in his primary and special election victories back in March.
Helped Carlos Curbelo (FL CD 26) and Lee Zeldin (NY CD 1) defeat incumbent Democratic Congressmen. Helped Buddy Carter (GA CD 1) and Barbara Comstock (VA CD 10) win key open seat races.
Through the NRCC Independent Expenditure, we helped defend Chris Gibson’s seat in NY CD 19 and helped Elise Stefanik take an open Democratic seat in NY CD 21.
We’re proud to have helped the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) win important AG races in the key battleground states of Colorado and Arizona.
Ken Simpler won as Delaware Treasurer and became the first non-incumbent Republican to win statewide in 20 years.
Helped Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard and Alabama Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh increase their supermajorities in the State Legislature in spite of the teachers’ union and President Obama affiliated special interest groups spending over $20 million against GOP legislative candidates.
In the battleground state of Florida, helped CFO Jeff Atwater lead the GOP ticket with a whopping 59% of the vote. Helped defeat the only marijuana initiative that failed on Election Day, Amendment 2, in spite of public polls showing the initiative with over 80% of the vote. Proud to help The Republican Party of Florida maintain their majority in the State Senate and expand their super-majority to the State House.
Congratulations to the Indiana Republican Campaign Committee, Senator David Long, President Pro Tempore and Majority Floor Leader Brandt Hershman for leading the caucus to a sweep of every targeted race, expanding their supermajority to 40 of all 50 state senators and defeating 2 Incumbent Democrats.We helped defend 4 Republican incumbents seats: Phil Boots (SD 23), Greg Walker (SD 41), Jim Smith (SD 45) and Ron Grooms (SD46); protected 4 open Republican seats: Rick Niemeyer (SD 6), Jeff Raatz (SD 27), Eric Bassler (SD 39) and Chip Perfect (SD 43); and took over 2 Democrat seats with victories by Jon Ford (SD 38) and Erin Houchin (SD 47).
This year we have helped these Republicans win contested primaries:
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.
Congressmen Ander Crenshaw FL4, , Doug Collins GA9, Renee Ellmers, NC2, Richard Hanna NY22, Robert Pittenger NC9, Mike Rogers AL3.
And we helped new Congressman David Jolly win the FL13 Special Election.
We also helped these Congressional candidates win their primaries: Carlos Curbelo FL26, Lee Zeldin NY1, Bruce Blakeman NY4, Barbara Comstock VA10, Buddy Carter GA1.
Among many other state legislative and local candidates.
2013 – McLaughlin worked to help the Virginia House Republican Caucus win 67 out 100 Delegate races by countering the Democrats shutdown attacks with turning out voters who disapprove of Obamacare. We polled for the caucus and for 8 individual incumbents who won Rust,Comstock, Albo, Ramadan, Miller, LouPassi, Cox, Orrock. We had other local successes in NY and NJ including landslide re-elections for Republican County Executives in Westchester Rob Astorino, Nassau Ed Mangano.
2012 – Re-elected Congressmen Rogers (AL-3), Aderholt, Bachus, Crenshaw, Young (FL-13), Diaz-Balart, Rene Ellmers, Pete King, Jon Runyan, Richard Hanna and elected new Congressmen Doug Collins GA9, Robert Pittenger NC9, and Keith Rothfus PA12 (beating Democrat incumbent Critz). Eric Cantor was re-elected and we helped him hold the House majority.
Passed the first ever statewide Charter School amendment in Georgia with 59% of the vote. (6 pts ahead of Romney winning 26 of 32 counties Obama carried).
Passed California’s reform of the Three Strikes Law to keep violent criminals in jail.
2011 – Pollsters for the U.S. House Special Election campaigns of both Mark Amodei and Bob Turner. Turner’s victory was especially significant as his district was 3 to 1 Democrat and hadn’t sent a Republican to Washington since before The Great Depression while Amodei won his election by 22 points, 58% to 36%. We created the Republican counterattack on Medicare by having these candidates make an issue of the Obamacare Medicare cuts.
2010 – Helped House Republican Whip Eric Cantor and his team with national strategic polling and messaging. We developed the Republicans check and balance on Obama message to help win a new House majority. This lead to 17 congressional victories, including helping to defeat 7 incumbent Democrats. In Georgia, we aided in the sweep of every Georgia statewide race as part of Gov. Nathan Deal’s team. Did the benchmark survey for then Congressman Mark Kirk to enter the race and win for US Senate. Did the benchmark survey for Governor John Hoeven to enter the race for US Senate. Guided the Alabama Republican Party to control of the AL State Legislature for the first time in 136 years, the Florida Republican Party to 19 wins in the State House and Senate and the Indiana Senate Majority Campaign Committee to an increased Republican majority by defending 8 incumbent seats and picking up 4 more Democrat seats.
2009 – Worked to help guide, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Alabama and Florida Republicans to victory including running the RGA campaign recapturing the Governorship of New Jersey, re-electing the Lt. Governor in Virginia, winning 10 of 10 VA delegate races, including defeating 5 incumbents, recapturing the Westchester Co. Executive, The Nassau County Legislature and re-electing the Rockland and Orange County Executives.
2008 – Helped re-elect 10 incumbent members to the House of Representatives, including Minority Whip Eric Cantor in addition to adding 2 freshmen congressmen to the rolls.
2007-2008 – Pollster and consultant for Fred Thompson for President campaign.
2007 – Israel – Helped Benjamin Netanyahu win the first ever Likud Party primary to become party leader which led to him becoming Prime Minister.
2006 – In the most difficult Republican year since Watergate, McLaughlin & Associates helped re-elect Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA) and Bob Riley (AL) and helped 12 incumbent Congressmen win re-election. In addition, we also helped elect Lt. Governor Casey Cagle of Georgia and Attorney General Bill McCollum of Florida in 2006.
2005 – Bloomberg for Mayor (New York City, NY) – In spite of overwhelming Democrat registration, helped Bloomberg receive a record 57% for a Republican candidate in the City. In Virginia, McLaughlin & Associates worked to elect Lt. Governor Bill Bolling of Virginia and maintain Republican majority control of the Virginia House of Delegates.
2004 – NRSC Independent Expenditures – Led the NRSC polling to victories by providing extensive daily tracking in 7 critical states, including: Alaska, South Carolina, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana and South Dakota – including the defeat of Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle. Surveyed for John Thune which led to him entering the race for Senate.
2004 – Gov. Schwarzenegger’s California Recovery Team (Vote NO on Props 68 & 70) – Help California Governor stop critical initiatives.
2004- After the June loss of their national election, surveyed for the Conservative Party of Canada to re-launch Stephen Harper’s campaign to ultimately become Prime Minister of Canada.
We also polled for House Speaker Denny Hastert helping him maintain the House majority from 1998-2004.
2003 – Schwarzenegger for Governor – Provided critical polling data to assist in historic victory in California’s special election to recall and replace incumbent Gov. Gray Davis!
2002 – John Warner for Senate (VA) – Helped incumbent US Senator win his 5th term in the Senate. In the United States House of Representatives, McLaughlin & Associates assisted 12 Republican members win reelection.
2001 – Virginia – helped expand Republican majorities in both the State Senate and the House of Delegates to a Republican record majority of 64 out of 100 seats. Elected Jerry Kilgore as Virginia Attorney General.
2000 – George Allen for Senate (VA) – Assisted then-former Governor Allen’s campaign to be the only Republican challenger to defeat an incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator. The Allen Campaign was named the “Political Campaign of the Year” by PR Week Magazine
2000 – Richard Lugar for Senate (IN) – Provided polling to easily re-elect Senator Lugar to his 5th term with 67% of the vote.
2000 – National Republican Congressional Committee – Served as lead pollster for NRCC Chairman Tom Davis in the successful campaign to maintain a Republican majority in Congress.
2000 – Montana Republican Party Independent Expenditure – Judy Martz For Governor helped guide decisive Party campaign to elect Martz as Governor.
1999 – New Majority Project (VA) – Helped Gov. Jim Gilmore usher in the first bicameral Republican majority in the Virginia General Assembly; eleven candidates for the House of Delegates and three candidates for the State Senate were among our winning clients.
1998 – Bill Pryor for Attorney General (AL) – Helped first time candidate win in spite of a massive effort by the Alabama’s Trial Lawyers’ Association to defeat Pryor.
1998 – Keeping the House Majority – Successfully guided many congressmen to reelection in districts across the country, including current House Speaker Denny Hastert, and Congressmen Phil Crane (IL), John Sweeney (NY), Peter King (NY), Bill McCollum (FL), David McIntosh (IN), and John Thune (SD).
1997 – Jim Gilmore for Governor (VA) – Helped to develop the Gilmore message to abolish the personal property tax on cars and turned a close race into the first Virginia statewide Republican sweep this century.
1996 – John Thune for Congress (SD) – Helped develop John Thune’s message of less taxes, Medicare reform, and smaller government to come from over 50 points behind in the primary to win both the primary and the general election in landslides.
1996 – Jeff Sessions for US Senate (AL) – Provided tracking polling to counterattack Democrats on the crime issue to help win decisively.
1995-1996 – Steve Forbes for President – Helped shape communications for the flat tax, medical savings accounts, term limits, and other parts of Forbes’ campaign agenda which won the Delaware and Arizona primaries.
1994 – Fob James for Governor (AL) – Identified character and crime issues to enable James to come from 20 points behind to defeat a sitting Democrat governor.
1994 – Countdown for the Majority – Guided an independent expenditure targeting House Speaker Tom Foley on health care to drive his September primary vote down to 35%, assuring his defeat in November.
1994 – Republican National Committee – Conducted a September national survey, predicting a Republican majority in Congress if Republicans would stand their ground. Helped Republicans defeat five incumbent Democrat House members.
1993 – George Allen for Governor (VA) – Identified abolishing parole and honest change as the key cutting issues for Allen to come from 28 points behind and win by a landslide.
1992 – Lauch Faircloth for US Senate (NC) – Focused the campaign upon a contrast between workfare and welfare to come from 20 points behind to be the only Republican challenger to defeat an incumbent Democrat senator without a runoff.
1992 – Bret Schundler for Mayor (Jersey City, NJ) – Focused the campaign upon school choice and taxes to allow Schundler to break out of a crowded field of 20 candidates from just 1% of the vote to become Jersey City’s first Republican mayor in decades.
1991 – Frank Rizzo for Mayor (Philadelphia, PA) – Focused Rizzo’s comeback on an anti-drug and character campaign which enabled Rizzo to come from 30 points behind and win a hard-fought Republican primary.
1990 – Jesse Helms for US Senate (NC) – Focused the race upon the issues of honesty and quotas to win, after media polls conducted the week before incorrectly forecasted Helms losing.
These are just some examples of how we used survey results to shape a message to help win elections for our clients. Ultimately, this must be the strategic goal of your survey program.
Types
We can provide you with the following information research products to help you meet your goals:
- Benchmark Surveys
- Benchmark Follow-Up Surveys
- Panel Surveys
- Post-Media Surveys
- Focus Groups – Online or in person
- One-on-One Research
- Exit Polling
- Post-Election Surveys
- E-mail Surveys
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Surveys
- Online Internet Polling
- Database Surveys
- Predictive Analytics
- Message Testing
- Online Ad Testing
Research Objectives
We produce the research which helps you:
- Measure your chances for success
- Pinpoint cutting issues
- Develop a winning campaign strategy
- Identify your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses
- Profile key voter groups
- Help target resources
- Serve as a benchmark to track future progress
Quality Control
McLaughlin & Associates is a full-service survey research company specializing in rapid turnaround time in public opinion surveys. The personnel of our firm are fully prepared to oversee all aspects of your project from development of the questionnaire, sample construction, and recommendation of appropriate statistical measures, to the analysis of survey results and the preparation of written reports as requested.
Rapid Turnaround
Turnaround time is a direct function of the sample size and the length of the questionnaire. McLaughlin & Associates can turn around surveys more quickly than most survey research companies.
Media Placement
McLaughlin & Associates can also assist your organization with state-of-the-art computerized media planning and placement. Over the past few years we have placed hundreds of millions of dollars in media advertising across the United States.
Our work on behalf of our clients has won wide praise for efficiency and effectiveness. By matching survey research data to our on-line media targeting capability, we can design and execute full-scale media plans that optimize reach and frequency among your target groups.
General Consulting
Having worked at every political level, we understand the need to merge all components of your campaign into an overall winning strategic message and organization. McLaughlin & Associates can provide advice on all of the important elements of your campaign: advertising, fundraising, research issues, direct mail, press relations, grassroots organization, coalition building, and scheduling.
McLaughlin & Associates offers general political consulting services to a very limited number of campaigns and organizations. We choose to limit the number of our consulting campaigns in order to give our candidates the personal services they need to win.
In cooperation with key personnel from your campaign, McLaughlin & Associates will help you and your advisors design and implement the campaign structure, organization, strategy, and tactics necessary for your campaign to be successful.
