The Office The race for Congress in CA-11. The Candidate Incumbent Democrat Jerry McNerney, first elected in 2006 after years of work on wind energy, inspired to run for office by his son’s military service. The Challenge Coming off a shocking upset victory in 2006 over powerful and well-known seven-term incumbent, Richard Pombo, McNerney entered his first re-election campaign against a seasoned Republican opponent, Dean Andal. At the beginning of the cycle, McNerney was #2 on Karl Rove’s target list of vulnerable Democrats. The Outcome McNerney informed the electorate of his strong record of service in his first term, exposed Andal as being out of touch with the values of the district’s voters, and went on to soundly defeat Andal 55% to 45% -- increasing his margin of victory from 2006 and seeing his greatest improvement in the most challenging parts of the district. The Methodology Building on our in-depth knowledge of the district from the 2006 cycle, we employed a baseline survey, several trackers, and focus group research over the course of the election. This research informed multiple facets of the campaign including messaging, media, and targeting efforts. Our research revealed the need for McNerney to focus on his concrete accomplishments on behalf of the district, especially in terms of assistance for veterans and on pocketbook issues. We also recommended that the campaign highlight Andal’s record of extreme positions on women’s issues as well as his support for unpopular Bush economic policies that hurt working families. That record rendered Andal unacceptable to the swing voters he needed to have a chance at retaking the seat. The Team Lake Research Partners (David Mermin, Daniel Spicer, John Norris, Charles Blumenthal) John Lapp, media consultant Duane Baughman, direct mail consultant

"LRP's research provided critical insight for my upset victory over Richard Pombo and my first tough re-election win in a Republican-leaning district. David Mermin learned my district and is always accessible to provide strategic and timely insights." — Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)