In 2026, public defender Eli Northrup faced a competitive primary for an open State Assembly seat on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Eli was the progressive choice in the race, and he faced a challenge from a well-known community member. We knew the race would be challenging but we charted a course for victory.

Eli first ran for the seat in 2024, putting up a strong performance for a first-time candidate, but ultimately came up short against a well-known and strongly endorsed candidate. However, with the incumbent opting to run for Congress, Eli decided to run again.

Eli earned an impressive list of endorsers that ranged from Democratic clubs, progressive leaders, and dozens of elected officials. Analyzing the 2024 results and the 2025 Mayoral primary results, we saw a clear path for his run and for the mail program to play a pivotal role. There were 41 precincts that voted for Eli’s establishment opponent in 2024 that then voted for Mayor Mamdani in 2025 - we knew our swing voters.

Eli’s message would resonate with these progressive Mamdani voters, and the mail program doubled down on these “swing” precincts with extra flights of mail touting his progressive credentials, his focus on affordability, and his community support.

With a competitive congressional race overlapping the district and expected heavy spending by the opponent and opposing IEs – we decided to launch our mail program earlier than traditional programs, dropping our first piece in February to beat the clutter. We maintained a moderate frequency to stay present in voters’ mailboxes.

Our creative used a mix of styles and folds to stand out in a crowded media environment and help Eli break through.

Eli ended up winning 40 out of those 41 “swing” precincts and ultimately won the primary by a commanding 20 points.