Stephen Boyle for US Congress MI-14
I ran for US Congress in the 14th Congressional District of Michigan in the 2014 election. For those that may not know, the Green Party platform requests candidates rely on individual campaign contributions - no corporate, PAC, lobbying, or foundation contributions are accepted. Greens engage in a lot of volunteerism and work on social justice issues, so candidates often have great community contacts.
About Candidacy
My candidacy was announced and accepted at the Green Party of Michigan's Nominating Convention held June 2014 in Detroit. My run for candidacy was unopposed and the party welcomed my running for office. This meant my run for office was merely a matter of months, and wasn't planned in advance.
Demonstrating the borders of the 14th District which was redrawn in 2010.
A District of Diversity
Using the district borders in many of my campaign pieces gave voters the ability to determine if they were in the district. It also is a talking point when it comes to representation of the constituents.
The 14th District includes eastern Wayne County and portions of western Oakland County. The communities range in economic stature from poverty to the most affluent in the entire State of Michigan. The city of Detroit's entire riverfront is in the district as well as the Grosse Pointes. Executive homes exist here as well as lakefront properties in Oakland County.
Transportation in the district comes in all flavors - communities locked into bus systems due to poverty, and some communities that have requested the SMART bus service doesn't make stops within them. As a bus rider and bike rider for decades, I've travelled throughout the district and witnessed the underserved area. In some areas of Oakland County you'd have to walk / bike miles to reach a bus route, and service hours are extremely limited on many.
Pulling at social media hash tags
Marketing the Green Party candidacy with pistachio and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Green Party Branding
About 2/3 of the way through the campaign the party announced new style elements and a rebranding for the party. I brought many of the elements together in a few manners.
This blocked diamond shows the Four Pillars of the Green Party platform using the elements provided in the style guide. I began using this design feature in latter graphics for the campaign, and sending them in for use by others in the party.
Blending two branding styles in an event header to use on Facebook.
Profile cover image for Tsu - http://tsu.co/boyle4mich
New branding elements from the US Green Party
Encouraging potential candidates to be the change they wish to see in the future.
