Math

The Keating/OnSight polls won Curtis Hubbards “closest to the pin” award.

Colorado was in the cross hairs this election cycle, and OnSight Public Affairs picked a winning slate of candidates and issues to back.

Amendment S

Getting voters to understand the Amendment — which sets out to modernize government so that we hire and promote the best employees, increase accountability and help veterans who serve our country — was an uphill battle. A wonky and technical issue, it took a creative integrated campaign of online, radio, and billboard ads to get voters educated.

But with a unanimous vote of approval from the state legislature, endorsements from nearly every newspaper in the state, and an outpouring of support from both the business and non-profit community, Coloradans voted to pass Amendment S by a double-digit margin!

A win for veterans and the efficiency of our state government!

Polling

OnSight Public Affairs worked with Keating Research to run a series of polls leading up to the election. Cited by the NYTimes’ Nate Silver the day before the election, the OnSight/Keating polls were roundly recognized as among the most accurate, getting kudos from both Fox31’s Eli Stokols:

In Colorado, conservatives dismissing the work of pollster Chris Keating on the grounds that he’s worked for Hickenlooper and Udall, overlooked a series of polls that were spot-on. A day before the election, Keating had Obama leading Romney 50-46; it was a four-point win for Obama, 52-48, in the end.

And The Denver Post’s Curtis Hubbard, who gave our polls his Gold Medal award.

Ed Perlmutter

A series of web videos and online fundraising efforts managed by OnSight helped propel incumbent Ed Perlmutter to a 12 point victory in the race to represent the 7th Congressional District. Despite re-districting which made the race more competitive, and beer magnate Joe Coors’ (who poured millions of dollars of his personal fortune into the race) best efforts to discredit Ed with ads that made national attention for the dishonesty, Ed Perlmutter’s focus on positive advertising and his record of working hard to represent his constituents served him well in his campaign.

Congratulations to Ed, as both fans and constituents we’re excited to see you remain in office!

Punditry

Throughout the campaign season, with Colorado in the media spotlight as both a swing state and the host of the first of the Presidential debates, OnSight’s electoral expertise was in demand:

  • “When you really dig into it, we’re as purple as ever,” said Democrat strategist Mike Melanson of OnSight Public Affairs, who has managed campaigns for Sen. Mark Udall and Gov. John Hickenlooper. “Overall, it might be a Democratic night. But you know what? In two years, it will probably be a Republican night. We’re just that kind of state.” Colorado turns a little bluer, but no one party in line to dominate (Denver Post, 11/7/2012)
  • “Mike Melanson, a Democratic strategist who helped elect Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, said undecided voters tend to see both sides of issues, abhor partisanship and seek a candidate who feels the same way.” Poll of Western undecideds shows import of Denver debate (LA Times, 10/3/2012)
  • “We’re Western Democrats. We’re very different from East Coast Democrats,” said Mike Melanson, a Democratic operative in Colorado and senior partner at OnSight Public Affairs. “And as long as you brand yourself in that tradition, then you, as a Democrat, can do well.” National trends at work in battleground Colorado (10/2/2012)

 

Amendment S is the One Thing We Can All Agree On

Amendment S is the One Thing We Can All Agree On

Governor John Hickenlooper and former governor Bill Owens have teamed up to make sure Coloradans vote Yes on Amendment S. Along with billboards, a web site, and social media outreach, the campaign recorded and released a series of radio ads.

Take a listen:

Rockies
Airplane

The ads are playing on radio stations all over Colorado. For a look behind the scenes with the talent, check out the outtakes reel:

Personnel Reform in the works

Personnel Reform in the works

A proposal to reform the way the state of Colorado manages hiring has been moving through the works. The reform measure — which will be presented to voters as a referendum this fall — was just signed by the Governor on Tuesday.

From the Denver Post:

Governor Hickenlooper signs personnel reform bill (photo from Denver Post)

DENVER—Colorado state employees could see revised job protections under a measure headed to ballots this fall.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the proposal to revise personnel regulations on Wednesday. The governor’s signature is the last step before the changes go to voters.

Many of the protections are in the state constitution and therefore require a public vote to change.

The new rules would revise how state employees are hired and get rid of a little-used rule that protects senior employees over younger employees in case of layoffs. The measure would also revise merit-pay provisions that workers complain haven’t worked as promised.

The state’s largest public-employee union is neutral on the changes.

 

Read more: Hickenlooper signs Colo. state employee bill