After two unsuccessful bond elections in five years, Gainesville ISD faced an uphill challenge to build voter support for its May 2025 bond. All the while, students continued to go without needed safety upgrades, classroom space, and expanded career and technical education opportunities to prepare them for jobs. The Vote Yes for the Gainesville ISD Bond PAC partnered with CWJ Strategies to develop a campaign focused on rebuilding trust and communicating the need for the district’s proposed improvements.
A key strength of the campaign was its PAC chair, whose deep roots and longstanding relationships in Gainesville proved invaluable. He leveraged his connections to build community support, giving CWJ the resources needed to execute an effective campaign. Even while facing significant personal health challenges during the election, he remained committed to the effort and trusted the CWJ team to keep the campaign moving forward.
With a strong strategy in place, the PAC leaders and CWJ team worked to reach Gainesville voters from every direction. The campaign included targeted mail, digital advertising, phone banking, and an extensive door-to-door effort. The combination of strong local leadership and a targeted campaign enabled the PAC to deliver a consistent message to voters across multiple channels.
In May 2025, the bond passed with 54% of the vote, marking Gainesville ISD’s first successful bond election in 20 years. The victory showed the value of pairing trusted local leadership with a strategic campaign team, combining the relationships and resources of those who know their community best with the experience needed to turn that support into a winning campaign.