2/24/2010

If you don’t know who Robert Willington is yet, chances are you soon will. After an impressive stint as a web and political strategist for Scott Brown’s senatorial campaign, Willington has become one of the most sought after names in the political world. For Willington, who says he is one final presentation away from graduating with a master’s degree in Professional Politics at Suffolk, working on the longshot campaign required hard work and a never-say-die attitude.

“We had a light campaign at first and we always had to be as efficient as possible,” said Willington. “We were underdogs, but we had a great spirit among the staff.”  Willington was introduced to Brown in 2002 while he was working in the State House for another representative. The pair then began to work with each other when Willington was political director, then later executive director of the Massachusetts Republican party. According to Willington, who credits a polling class at Suffolk taught by David Paleologos for aiding his career, having a strong, well-planned strategy was crucial for the Brown campaign’s success.

“Having a great message was the best way to reach voters,” said Willington. “We also used every communications tool available—mobile, web, video, radio, newspapers—and we got our message out. However, we were very diligent about collecting information as well to acquire names, emails, and addresses. ”

From launching a “voter bomb” site which asked people to ensure their friends will vote for Brown to developing an iPhone application that would send a list of names and addresses to volunteers working in the field, Willington’s impact was widely felt. Not surprisingly, since his work on the Brown campaign, Willington is beginning to see offers pour in for his services, as he has become one of the hottest strategists in the country.

“I have been talking to a lot of campaigns and organizations around the country,” said Willington. “The attention shows me how powerful this campaign really was. It was great to be a part of history.”

-- Andrew Clark

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