It was nearly an impossible task for Raúl Torrez in the Democratic primary for Attorney General in New Mexico in 2022.
Raúl’s opponent was a statewide officeholder who had twice the cash, nearly every endorsement from every corner of the state, and polling that showed that after the informed ballot Raul was losing by a whopping 27 points. To illustrate the uphill climb Raúl faced, his opponent won the non-binding pre-primary convention 62% to 38%.
A cookie-cutter campaign would be losing campaign for Raul Torrez. We needed to take calculated risks if we wanted to win.
Our strategy was to utilize a series of sharp, 15-second ads on TV (half the price of a 30-second ad); go up early, and define the terms of the race from the opening salvo as a contrast between a prosecutor and a career politician.
We were more aggressive than normal in having Raúl go directly after his opponent in the ads but it paid off.
On Election Day, despite a 2-to-1 cash deficit, Raúl Torrez won the highly competitive primary for New Mexico’s Attorney General by an amazing 7%.
“(Torrez) grabbed a compelling narrative… with polished ads establishing himself as the experienced prosecutor.”
– Roswell Daily Record, 6/21/22
“Torrez has run a slick advertising campaign”
– Pete Denili New Mexico News and Commentary