From zero to 60 in 60 hours.

It was a call that seemed unlikely. A technical problem had developed in the reelection campaign of a state senator, one that almost certainly meant she was going to have to leave the ballot and someone else would step in—by trying to get write-in votes. Then, I got the call on Friday. It was go time—and we were launching Monday morning.

Over the next 60 hours, I would proceed to set up a full brand campaign and website for a state legislative candidate—the sort of thing that usually takes weeks or months to do.

It helped that the person stepping in was someone I knew. I'd worked on Lauren Kuby's 2022 run for the Arizona Corporation Commission, a powerful but complicated office to explain to most Arizonans (it's the state's public utility regulator). I had handled most of the design work on that campaign after the original logo was created:

I also had worked on her campaign just months prior for a seat on the Salt River Project utility board, which proved just how bad its archaic acreage-based vote weighting system was at reflecting anything but the preferences of longtime farmers.

This was the visual springboard for a campaign that was set up initially as a write-in campaign. Some of the trappings of an energy-focused campaign were shed, but with Lauren's stock in trade being climate policy, there was opportunity to retain much of the brand for equity. A huge green Write-In banner was on everything, including our yard and street signs, and provisions were included to later cover it over with stickers. The first month was frantic, with Lauren calling me so often I had to buy a new set of earbuds. Then we hit a lucky patch by identifying a piece of Arizona state law that enabled the precinct committeemen to select a candidate. They chose Lauren. We had to cut "Write In" off all our signs.

We could breathe, finally. This enabled Lauren to focus on running with two Arizona state house candidates, which meant more mail work as we produced several pieces of mail collateral blending multiple campaigns' looks.

It was a thrill to be part of something so unexpected and heady and ultimately successful as Lauren was elected to the State Senate. I just know the next campaign won't need to come alive in 60 hours.