Test PAC Launches TV, Direct Mail Campaigns

This is a big week for us.

Over the course of the past month, Test PAC officers, volunteers and members have come together to achieve an incredible amount of work in unprecedented ways. Through the generous donations of average Americans from across the country, Test PAC was successfully able to generate enough funding for a comprehensive campaign against Lamar Smith in Texas’ 21st district.

First, we launched a billboard on San Antonio’s I-10, showing Smith that while he may dismiss those who favor a free and open Internet as the “vocal minority”, our voice would be heard loud and clear. As the month has progressed, we have been in contact with a number of other organizations looking to oust Smith and put an end to his reckless political agenda.

Today, we are proud to announce two new campaigns rolling out this week.

First, Test PAC has confirmed that our direct mailer will be hitting the mailboxes of 8,000 Republican voters on Thursday, May 24th. The mailers were produced using crowd-sourced ideas. Constructive discussion and debate helped hone our message and make sure our point was concise. The direct mailer, which we were able to fund after exceeding our fundraising goal of $5,000 , ended up costing just under $4,000.

In addition to the direct mailer, Test PAC has also purchased a round of television ads which are set to air on three different stations in Texas’ 21st. The breakdown of the airing times is listed below:

KSAT:
Jimmy Kimmel – M-F 1 time per show May 21-25
Indianapolis 500 – Sun May 27th twice
Good Morning S.A. (4:30am-5am) – M-F 3 times total

WOAI:
Leno – Thur 5/24 once, Fri. 5/25 twice (Colin Powell is guest on Friday)
Fallon – Tues. 5/22 once, Thur 5/24 once (Anderson Cooper is guest on Tuesday)
Meet the Press – Sunday 5/27 twice

KENS5:
Letterman – Wed 5/23 twice, Thur 5/24 twice (Bill O’Reilly is guest on Wednesday)
Face the Nation – Sun May 27th once

Prior to funding the television spots, Test PAC members came together to painstakingly produce an advertisement targeting Lamar Smith. As a result, Test PAC was able to create a professional quality commercial with zero production costs(special thanks to Michael Warren, Eddie Belaval, Ian Munsel, and Richard Green). The broadcasting of the spots came in at just over $10,000.

I’ve included the cost of each campaign to emphasize the fact that Test PAC is dedicated to ensuring that every dollar you donate is a dollar you can trust to make a difference. It is with this in mind that Test PAC is run on an entirely volunteer basis, meaning that Test PAC has a 0% overhead. It inspires us to see individual donations of $5, $10, and $20, and as a result we make it our point to utilize each donation in the most efficient manner possible.

As we head into the last lap of the Republican primaries, we encourage each and every one of you to do your part. Voters in Texas’ 2st: end the reign of Lamar Smith by voting in the Republican primary elections. Americans across the country: write your congressmen and women, educate yourselves on legislation threatening our freedoms in the digital age, donate to the cause, and help raise awareness of our current political state of affairs.

The power and innovation of our technological community has proven thus far to be a powerful adversary to the legislative ignorance in Washington. Let’s make sure our concerns further translate into positive action.