The National Jewish Democratic Council is raising funds to target Jewish voters in this year’s New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections.
In an e-mail entitled "Keep NJ and VA Blue," the organization says it has a goal of collecting $100,000 in the next week for its "outreach and educational campaign."
That campaign, like the work the group did for Obama in 2008, "will again center on issues of concern to Jewish communities in New Jersey and Virginia. Our plan employs polling, direct mail, ads, training field organizers and surrogate speakers, and phone banking. Extensive analysis of Jewish voting in both states shows that Jewish swing voters will be a key component of a winning election strategy."
In Virginia this November, Democrat Creigh Deeds is facing Republican Bob McDonnell, while in New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie is challenging incumbent Democrat John Corzine.
While New Jersey is an obvious place for Jewish outreach, with an estimated 480,000 Jews, Virginia has close to 100,000 Jews, which comes to 1.3 percent of its population — the same Jewish proportion of the population as Ohio. (The key difference is that Ohio Jews, particularly in the Cleveland area, are much more concentrated in particular neighborhoods than, for instance, the Jews in Washington, D.C.’s Virginia suburbs.) In the last month of last year’s presidential campaign, the Obama campaign did set up a Jewish outreach operation in the commonwealth, holding events in Northern Virginia, Richmond and the Tidewater area.
The full NJDC e-mail is after the jump:[[READMORE]]
We are only just catching our breath from 2008 and already have two significant elections just four months away in New Jersey and Virginia. As we did in 2008, NJDC will play a significant role in keeping both states blue! Will you support our efforts in New Jersey and Virginia by helping us reach our $100,000 goal and contribute to NJDC today?
In 2008, to counter all the smears and attacks against Democrats, NJDC executed the most extensive campaign in its history, and 78 percent of Jews voted for Barack Obama. Concentrating on issues of concern to Jewish voters, NJDC put together an in-depth field operation employing the following tools: 350,000 pieces of direct mail to Jewish households, an ad campaign in numerous states, surrogate training, internet ads, and phone banking. We would not have been as successful without your help and support.
This year, NJDC’s outreach and educational campaign will again center on issues of concern to Jewish communities in New Jersey and Virginia. Our plan employs polling, direct mail, ads, training field organizers and surrogate speakers, and phone banking. Extensive analysis of Jewish voting in both states shows that Jewish swing voters will be a key component of a winning election strategy.
NJDC knows how to reach the Jewish voters who will be key to the 2009 elections. Please consider making a donation today to help NJDC raise $100,000 by Midnight on Wednesday, July 22nd to launch this important outreach and educational campaign!
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Marc R. Stanley
Chairman
