I was buried in mail pieces from the VA-11 special election so I analyzed and ranked them

because why not? so here's the top 5:

So, my wife and I received a total of 30 mail pieces from 6 different candidates and 1 General Voter guide from the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee for the Virginia 11th Congressional District Special Firehouse Primary on June 28th.

And the totals were as follows for how many we received:

• Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw - 9

• State Senator Stella Pekarsky - 7

• Amy Roma - 6

• Delegate Irene Shin - 4

• Dan Lee - 2

• Leo Martinez - 1

• General Voter Information - 1

So call it Stockholm Syndrome. Call it delirium. Call it boredom. I thought I would dive right in:

Okay so this was tough not gonna lie. We got a lot from some. A few from others and none from the rest so I had to sort through this by looking:

1. How they looked

2. How they presented their background

3. How or If they presented the candidates’ plans from

4. Any information they provided to voters on logistics for election day.

I will also preface this as I have not endorsed a candidate nor will be as I am working the election and am neutral. This is also based on the fact that I am super plugged in with a background in campaigns and have made only some direct mail pieces. But sue me, this is a super niche and plugged in primary.

1. Dan Lee

So probably the best mail piece I saw was actually from Dan Lee.

It’s obviously incredibly hard to introduce yourself, give your background, and what you plan to do with only a few mail pieces and a small room for text but I thought this was a really great use of space.

He gives what his top policy points right on the front. He ties them in with his background and personal story in the middle. And then he has voting information on the back and links out via a QR Code.

I think QR Codes are abused these days. But one thing it does do is give you the ability to track engagement with folks who are interested when you don’t have link clicks.

BUT the one thing Dan Lee has that no one else does: he has translations in various languages spoken in the district and while it might be less relevant for a smaller voting population for a firehouse primary, it expands the electorate which is very smart when it’s first past the post.

2. James Walkinshaw

Next one is from Braddock Supervisor J James Walkinshaw. He has a lot of his background in bite size pieces and gives ties to the district. I also am always partial to testimonials and obviously James has the most endorsements so getting their two cents from leaders voters recognize in and around the district is a huge plus.

Also the inclusion of the giant group shot of people from the district that neighbors will recognize is a huge advantage as well. In fast campaigns like this with some lower information voters, sometimes just a recognizable face is enough of an endorsement.

I know there has been some debate around the Walkinshaw Campaign’s use of Gerry Connelly’s endorsement. But when you have that endorsement, I guess you gotta use it how you can. However I will say, putting the date and citation goes over much easier.

3. Stella Pekarsky

Next I have one from State Senator Sella Pekarsky. While this was not one of the more entertaining or flashier ones she sent out, I think this was one of the better ones in terms of content. It gives her background. It gives her titles. It gives her personal story AND ties in how that will inform her time in Congress.

I definitely like the use of space and it gives the voters her why and more about her and what she plans to do in Congress while giving them locations on where to go to get more information.

4. Irene Shin

The next one is from Delegate Irene Shin. This one was visually appealing while linking back to the branding and colors she used in her delegate campaigns as well as using similar pictures so people will recognize her. But it still reintroduces herself to the voters and what she has done in office.

Also good use of the QR code and capitalization on being the youngest in the race. People are definitely talking a lot more about lowering the age in Congress so a great differentiator in a crowded field.

One thing that stuck out to me is she also included being “against status quo politics.” At a time when people are unhappy with how Federal Dem Leadership is handling things against Trump, it’s good to see that some folks are still standing up for them and not just moving along to get along. So that definitely was a unique addition.

5. Amy Roma

Last one I had was Amy Roma. On a side note, it has been mentioned before, but what are the chances that we would have 2 different candidates named Amy with a background in national security and intelligence. So name recognition was going to be a little harder here.

But I think the imagery used and the space used definitely differentiated her a bit from the other pieces. She used a lot more military imagery which ties into her background and also stands out to a lot of folks in this area who work in defense or national security or are active duty or veterans. Also her story about how she helped in the pandemic and in Kabul are definitely intriguing when you read about them.

But one line on the back really struck me which was, “When politicians failed, Amy Roma stepped up.” And being a candidate who never held office running against 3 folks who have been elected is tough but just like the previous piece with “status quo politics” I think the use of that kind of language is appealing to some folks looking for maybe someone new.

So again, none of these were an endorsement and not indicative of how I think people are going to do. These were just my opinions as a campaign consultant and former campaign manager. Take it or leave it.

By the Ballot is an opinion series published on Substack. All views expressed are solely those of the author and should not be interpreted as reporting or objective journalism or attributed to any other individual or organization. I am not a journalist or reporter, nor do I claim to be one. This publication represents personal commentary, analysis, and opinion only.