Winner & Mandabach Campaigns

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Winner & Mandabach Campaigns (W&M) is a campaign consulting firm based in California. The principals of the firm are Charles Winner and Paul Mandabach. The firm was originally called Winner/Wagner & Mandabach Campaigns until former partner Ethan Wagner departed in 2002.

According to its website, it is a "national political consulting firm specializing in ballot measure campaigns." They report that in the 2005-2006 election cycle, they won "five major ballot measure campaigns in four states." The organization also says that they become involved with "all aspects of ballot measure campaigns, including strategic planning, advertising, direct mail, phone banks, public opinion research, earned media and grassroots activities."

W&M Campaigns was founded in 1985 as an affiliate of Winner, Wagner & Associates, which itself was founded in 1975. According to PRWeek, "Winner, whose experience in politics extends back to a 1950s stint as an aide to [California] governor Pat Brown, set up Winner/ Wagner & Associates in 1975 with fellow political aide Ethan Wagner."

Publicis Consultants purchased a 60% interest in W&M in 2000, which was at that time described as a "7.3 million, 43-strong public affairs shop."

Ballot measure work

2010

See also: Vendors and consultants to California's 2010 ballot proposition campaigns

Legend: Worked for yes campaign Worked for no campaign

In 2010, Winner & Mandabach consulted for three of the statewide propositions on the California ballot.

• Proposition 21: $250,352
• Proposition 22: $405,000
• Proposition 23: $362,596

And two measures in other states:

• Missouri's Proposition A.
• Initiative 1107: $772,445

2008

• California Proposition 98 (2008)
• California Proposition 99 (2008)
• California Proposition 94 (2008)
• California Proposition 95 (2008)
• California Proposition 96 (2008)
• California Proposition 97 (2008)

Winner and Mandabach's work on the four California Tribal Gaming Compacts (2008) has been estimated to have earned the company $15-$17 million.

Reporters Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross wrote in February 2008:

"And the winner, please: Bar none, the biggest winners in Tuesday's California elections were a couple of guys named Chuck Winner (no joke) and Paul Mandabach - and not just because their ballot measures were ahead.

Winner and Mandabach's Santa Monica media firm rang up millions of dollars in fees for its work producing TV, radio and direct mail ads for the four Indian gambling initiatives on Tuesday's ballot, which waged a record-breaking $109 million campaign.

The firm isn't required to report its profits on campaign disclosure reports, but political consultant Garry South - who helped direct the rival campaign against Propositions 94 through 97 - estimates Winner & Mandabach's take (based on the standard 15 percent commission) at $15 million to $17 million.

The intensely private Mandabach declined to discuss the company's compensation, saying it is 'between us and our client.'

But he and Winner must be doing pretty well - because they do own a stable of racehorses."

2006

• Missouri Stem Cell Research Act, Amendment 2 (2006), authorizing stem cell research in Missouri. W&M worked for the measure.
• California Proposition 90 (2006). W&M worked against this eminent domain reform measure.
• California Proposition 84 (2006) W&M worked for the measure.
• Arkansas Expanded Gaming at Oaklawn (2006). Hired by a casino that wanted to add more slot machines, W&M worked for the casino interests.
• Rhode Island Question 1 (2006). Hired by racetrack owners, W&M worked against this casino expansion measure.
• Massachusetts Sale of Wine by Food Stores Initiative, Question 1 (2006). W&M's side of this campaign lost.

Other

• California Proposition 1A (2004)
• California Proposition 5 (1998)
• Oregon Ballot Measure 37 (1996)

Paul Mandabach worked on behalf of the campaign to allow the continued operation of the Maine Yankee, a nuclear power plant in Maine. According to a November 5, 1987 article in the Bangor Daily News, "The consultant behind the massive save-Maine Yankee drive, Paul Mandabach of Winner, Wagner & Associates, masterminded a similar nuclear-industry financed campaign last year in Oregon that defeated a referendum to close that state's Trojan reactor. Mandabach has been involved in nearly a half dozen shutdown elections."

See also

• California political consultants
• Vendors and consultants to California's 2010 ballot proposition campaigns

External links

• Winner & Mandabach Campaigns website
• Winner & Mandabach Campaigns track record