Is this really an off-year? That’s news to us. Winning Connections has had a busy 2007 so far, helping candidates win, organizations advance their agenda, adding seasoned staff and finding ways to do what we do more effectively.

Live Interactive Calls Help Nutter Win Philadelphia Primary

Winning Connections congratulates Michael Nutter on his hard-fought win in Philadelphia’s Mayoral Primary Election yesterday. Outspent 3-1 by his opponent, Nutter overcame a 10-point deficit in the polls with a reformist message that Winning Connections helped communicate with targeted persuasion and GOTV calls. The success of Nutter’s innovative campaign is a testament to the top skills and good stewardship of Campaign Manager Bill Hyer and Field Director Greg Leifer, and Winning Connections extends our congratulations to them and their staff as well.

Winning Connections Fights Fraud with AARP

AARP has found that more than half of all victims of telemarketing fraud are senior citizens. Winning Connections is working with Washington State AARP to educate seniors around the country on how to recognize fraud. If you have a friend who is a potential victim of fraud, please direct them to the AARP Fraud-Prevention Hotline (1-800-646-2283) for advice.

Patch-Through Calls Push Ethics Legislation Through the Colorado House

Last fall Colorado voters approved Amendment 41, an ethics reform law with noble goals, but so broadly written it even prevented the children of government employees from receiving public college scholarships. Coloradans for Sensible Ethics – a progressive coalition – hired Winning Connections to recruit thousands of constituents to call members of the Colorado House and ask them to clarify Amendment 41. Legislators got the message - a bill recently passed by House reversed the unfair treatment of state employees.

Winning Connections Welcomes New Staff from Labor and the Association Worlds

We are proud to announce the addition of two very talented individuals to our team.

Heidi Ecker joins Winning Connections as our Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs. Heidi has worked in Washington, DC for the last thirteen years; building coalitions and helping advocacy associations make political impact. At the American Nurses Association Heidi coordinated the nurses’ efforts to support the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Before that, she built the American Osteopathic Association into a grassroots powerhouse. Most recently, Heidi was CEO of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity – a public-private partnership.

Mark Kanarick has started as Programs Director, coming to Winning Connections from the National Association of Letter Carriers, where he was responsible for coordinating field operations in the Western States. He’s helped elect pro-labor candidates in California, Hawaii, and Arizona, and he worked directly for the Tim Johnson campaign in 2004. At Winning Connections, Mark will bring the expertise he has gained from organized labor to develop and implement effective phone programs for our clients.