California Political Experience
Whether you aspire to a spot on your local city council,
the mayor's seat in your city, your county's board of
supervisors, the California State Legislature, the United
States Congress, or the Governor's office, the California
office of Public Opinion Strategies has the knowledge
and experience required to help you reach your goal.
If you have no political aspirations but wish to further
your issue agenda through the initiative process, we
can help you there as well.
When people think of Public Opinion Strategies, they
often associate the company entirely with its reputation
as the leading Republican polling firm in Congressional
and statewide political races and forget about or overlook
our wealth of political experience at lower levels of
government. To do so would be a huge mistake.
Over the past few years, the California office of Public
Opinion Strategies has conducted research on behalf
of candidates for local political office (or persons
or organizations interested in influencing the outcome
of local elections) in the cities of Beverly Hills,
Corona, Glendale, Gustine, Hermosa Beach, Huntington
Park, La Habra Heights, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Los
Banos, Modesto, Moreno Valley, Pleasanton, Pomona, Rancho
Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Sacramento, San Bernardino,
San Diego, San Jose, and Torrance. In addition, we have
been involved with campaigns for county supervisor in
El Dorado, Los Angeles, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento,
San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, and Ventura
counties. Finally, our California office has also been
involved in numerous local initiative and referendum
campaigns across the state including the successful
2000 cityhood campaign in Elk Grove, the successful
2002 Measures J and L Campaign in El Segundo, and the
successful 2004 No on Measure N Campaign in Moreno Valley
just to name a few.
On the state legislative level, our expertise and
experience is second to none. Since 1992, Stephen Kinney
has conducted research in 50 of the state's 80 assembly
districts and 23 of the state's 40 senate districts.
Whether on behalf of individual candidates, the Republican
caucus, or independent organizations concerned with
the outcome of the elections, we have been involved
in virtually every competitive state legislative race
for more than a decade.
Most recently, Public Opinion Strategies and Stephen
Kinney were the pollsters for the only two 2002 Republican
gains in the State Assembly-Assemblywomen Shirley Horton
(AD-78) and Bonnie Garcia (AD- 80). Further, we were
also involved in the tightly contested 2004 campaigns
for reelection by both assemblywomen as well as the
other primary Republican incumbent target - Assemblyman
Guy Houston (AD- 15).
Steve is especially proud of his 1994 candidate viability
and vulnerability testing studies conducted in conjunction
with then Republican Assembly Leader Jim Brulte - studies
which had a direct impact upon the surprising takeover
by Republicans of the California State Assembly.
Steve is also very proud of his work on behalf of Bruce
McPherson. From his special election to the State Assembly
in 1993 and subsequent 1994 re-election to his 1996
election to the State Senate and 2000 re-election to
the same, McPherson has consistently defied the odds
by bringing a traditionally Democratic stronghold home
to the Republican party.
In all of these cases, as in countless others, more
than just data a data collector, Steve provided analysis
and interpretation and recommended campaign strategies
and messages as a team player.
As is the case on the state legislative level, Public
Opinion Strategies is head-and-shoulders above the competition
on the Congressional level. Our client list currently
includes two sitting members of the United States House
of Representatives (George Radanovich in CD-19 and David
Dreier in CD-26), and Stephen Kinney has conducted research
in 28 of the state's 53 Congressional districts during
his career. Whether on behalf of individual candidates,
the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC),
or independent organizations concerned with the outcome
of the elections, we have been involved in some way
in virtually every competitive Congressional race in
the last decade.
Steve is especially proud of his work on the 1998 campaigns
of Congressmen Steven Kuykendall and Doug Ose - the
only two newly elected Republican members of the House
of Representatives from formerly Democratic districts
in the state of California. Steve is also very proud
of his work in 2000 on the nearly successful re- election
campaign of Congressman Kuykendall against his popular
predecessor Jane Harman.
In addition to his work on behalf of California candidates
for the United States House of Representatives and his
local and state legislative work, Steve Kinney has also
been involved in several key statewide races in the
state including the campaigns of former Governors George
Deukmejian and Pete Wilson.
Also, Steve Kinney served as the pollster for then
California State Treasurer Matt Fong's hard fought 1998
campaign for United States Senate against incumbent
Senator Barbara Boxer, and he has conducted research
on behalf of many other candidates for other statewide
offices such as Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Superintendent
of Public Education. In 2002, Public Opinion Strategies
and Stephen Kinney served as the pollsters for California
statewide candidates Senator Bruce McPherson (Lt. Governor)
and Keith Olberg (Secretary of State).
Public Opinion Strategies has an equally impressive
record on the statewide California initiative front
having been successful virtually whenever called upon.
In the recent 2004 general election, Stephen Kinney
and the California office of Public Opinion Strategies
were successful in three statewide initiative campaigns.
Our research was instrumental in the defeat of Propositions
62 (Louisiana- Style Open Primary) and 66 (Limitations
on Three Strikes), and we also conducted the only research
needed to ensure the passage of Proposition 69 (Mandatory
DNA Collection).
In 2000, Steve Kinney served as the pollster of record
for two successful statewide initiative campaigns -
Proposition 1A in November and Proposition 21 in March.
Proposition 1A validated gaming compacts for California
Native Americans, and Proposition 21 cracked down on
juvenile crime by mandating prosecution as an adult
for certain violent crimes committed by minors. In both
cases, our strategic advise could be seen in action
in the television advertising during the final days
of the campaign.
In 1998, Steve Kinney served as the pollster for the
successful Proposition 227 initiative in California
which requires all state public school instruction to
be conducted in English. The initiative won a solid
61% of the vote despite heavy spending by opposition
forces including the California Teachers Association
and the California PTA. Prop. 227 is now being credited
by some as an important fact. |
