CAMPAIGN PROPOSAL
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Campaign Platform Proposal · Ward 5 · Rochester MN

Ward 5 Has a Story.
The Website
Isn't Telling It.

A complete campaign platform overhaul — new domain, SüRJ-native infrastructure, integrated communications, real payment processing, and a site that makes voters feel something before they finish scrolling.

Prepared by Recherché Merchant Solutions / SüRJ  ·  April 2026
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What This Covers
01
Site AuditWhat's broken and why it costs votes
02
Competitive IntelligenceThe incumbent's positioning gaps
03
New Domain + SüRJ StackSMS, email, comms central, real payments
04
Homepage RedesignThe site voters actually respond to
05
Implementation RoadmapPhased, fast, SüRJ-native
01 — Current Site Audit

The current site is
losing votes every day.

ruchi-for-rochester-mn.com is a Squarespace starter template that was filled in, not designed. In a local Ward race where margins are in the hundreds, first impressions online matter more than almost anything else.

What We Found — Current Site
Domain with four hyphens signals amateur execution before the page even loads
Generic Squarespace template — zero visual distinction from thousands of non-political sites
Hero opens with "Hi! I am your neighbor" — warm, but zero urgency or contrast with the incumbent
Bullet list of "I am..." statements in place of a compelling candidate narrative
Three pillars (Environment, Economy, Connectivity) are headlines with nothing substantive underneath
Donation workflow sends voters to Venmo and Zelle — no real payment page, no tracking, no receipting
No SMS opt-in, no email capture, no automation — zero re-engagement capability after a visitor leaves
Yard sign CTA says "Coming Soon" — a live conversion opportunity abandoned
No contrast with the incumbent whatsoever — voters can't see why the choice actually matters
What It Should Be Doing
Clean branded domain voters remember, trust, and can actually type from a yard sign
A site that looks as credible as Ruchi's actual credentials
Hero that leads with Ward 5 stakes — issues front and center, urgency built in from line one
Her 4-year planning expertise positioned as the direct answer to real, named problems
Policy positions with real detail — showing voters she's read the reports and done the work
Hosted payment page with card processing — professional, compliant, and trackable
SMS and email capture on every CTA — every visitor becomes a reachable contact
All three volunteer actions live and frictionless on day one
Clear, respectful contrast with 8 years of the same Ward 5 representation
4
Hyphens in the current domain — zero is the right number
0
SMS or email automation sequences currently in place
3
Donation methods — none of them are a hosted payment page
0
Direct mentions of Ward 5's unresolved issues or the incumbent
Current site — what a first-time voter feels after landing
"She seems nice. I should look into this more… someday."
After the rebuild — what that same visitor should feel
"She's the one. How do I help?"
02 — Competitive Intelligence

The incumbent's record
gives us the opening.

Councilmember Shaun Palmer has held Ward 5 since 2018 — re-elected with 72% in 2022. His positioning relies on nostalgia and fear of change. His record on the issues voters care about most tells a different story.

Shaun Palmer — 8 Years, Same Approach
Opposed density zoning that could have created housing
Stood against R2x zoning in Pill Hill while Rochester's homelessness surged post-COVID and shelter beds closed across the city.
Fear-based messaging about "outside influences"
Warns voters against groups trying to make Rochester "like the Twin Cities" — in a city that's home to Mayo Clinic and serves patients from around the world.
Homelessness crisis still unresolved after two terms
Rochester's own 390-page homelessness report (Feb. 2026) calls the status quo unacceptable. No Ward 5-level housing-first policy exists.
Decisions communicated after the vote, not before
Major zoning and development decisions reached residents after they were made — outreach happened after the fact, not as genuine input.
Ruchi Gupta — Informed. Forward. Accountable.
4 years as Planning Commission Chair
She didn't read about housing policy during the campaign. She shaped it from inside the process — ordinances, hearings, and development decisions firsthand.
Rochester's global position is a strength, not a threat
As a Mayo Clinic data scientist, Ruchi understands Rochester's place in the world — and how to grow without losing what makes it home.
Housing-first as a Ward 5 commitment
Committed to aligning Ward 5 with Rochester's own homelessness task force recommendations — not waiting for someone else to move first.
Pre-vote transparency, every time
Every major council vote communicated to Ward 5 residents before it happens. A published decision log so constituents can track what's done and what isn't.
The positioning statement the site should make
"Ward 5 doesn't need someone who's been there eight years talking about what they'll do. It needs someone who has already done the work — and is ready to do more on your behalf."
03 — The Solution Stack

A campaign platform built
to win, not just exist.

Everything proposed here runs on SüRJ — the same platform SüRJ operates for client campaigns. No more Squarespace. No piecemeal tools. One integrated system handling the website, communications, and donations from a single SüRJ dashboard.

!
Priority Zero — Fix the Domain First
Four hyphens are four votes of lost credibility.

A hyphenated domain is impossible to say out loud, unreadable on a yard sign, and signals "I set this up in an afternoon." Every time a voter tries to remember the URL — ruchi-for-rochester-mn.com — that's friction that costs you. The clean version is almost certainly available, costs $12/year, and is worth more to this campaign than any single event.

Current — Stay Away From
ruchi-for-rochester-mn.com
4 hyphens · hard to say · impossible to remember
Proposed — Own This
ruchiforrochester.com
Clean · memorable · reads off any yard sign
💬

SMS Communications Central

Every form submission — volunteer sign-up, yard sign request, donation — triggers an automated SMS sequence. Voters opt in once and stay connected through Election Day.

  • Automated confirmation texts on every form fill
  • Broadcast SMS to the full list before key events
  • Two-way texting from a dedicated campaign number
  • Volunteer reminders and canvassing coordination
📧

Email Automation Sequences

Stop sending one-off emails. Build sequences that welcome new supporters, nurture undecided voters, and mobilize the list when it counts most.

  • Welcome sequence for every new contact type
  • Issue spotlight campaigns tied to the three pillars
  • Donation follow-up and thank-you automation
  • GOTV countdown sequence triggered 14 days out
💳
Upgrade from Venmo

Integrated Donation Page & Payments

Venmo and Zelle are fine between friends. A campaign deserves a real hosted payment page — card processing, receipt automation, and donor tracking built in from day one.

  • Branded hosted payment page at ruchiforrochester.com/donate
  • Credit/debit card processing via DropTheFee integration
  • Automatic donor receipts and acknowledgment emails
  • Donor list exportable for compliance reporting
📊

Supporter CRM & Contact Pipeline

Every volunteer, donor, and yard sign requester flows into a single contact record. See who's done what, follow up with anyone, and never lose a supporter lead.

  • Unified contact record per supporter
  • Pipeline stages: New → Contacted → Active → Voter
  • Tagged segmentation by action type
  • One-click call or text from any contact record
Exclusive — Ward, Your Campaign's AI Specialist
A custom AI specialist trained on Ruchi's platform — answering voters and donors 24/7.

Voters and donors visit campaign sites at all hours — at 11pm with one specific question, on a Sunday morning weighing whether to volunteer. Most leave because there's no one to answer. Ward changes that. He's a custom-trained AI specialist who knows Ruchi's platform, voting record, and policy positions inside and out — built specifically for this campaign and embedded directly on ruchiforrochester.com.

For Voters
Answers questions about Ruchi's stance on housing, zoning, homelessness, and Ward 5 priorities — instantly, in plain language.
For Donors
Walks them through how contributions are used, what's at stake in this race, and how to give — converting curiosity into action.
👀
You've already met Ward. The chat assistant answering questions about this proposal is the same kind of specialist that will live on Ruchi's campaign site. Click the chat button anytime to test him out.
Why SüRJ — and why it wins
SüRJ gives you the website, CRM, email, SMS, automation, and payment pages under one roof — at a fraction of what you'd pay for Squarespace + Mailchimp + a payment processor separately. SüRJ already manages this platform for client campaigns. Ruchi gets the infrastructure, the setup, and the ongoing support — without hiring a full campaign tech team. This isn't a vendor pitch. It's the same stack we'd use ourselves.
04 — Homepage Redesign

What the new site
feels like to a voter.

Staying true to the navy and teal palette Ruchi already chose — elevating the execution, not replacing the identity. Every section earns the scroll.

Light
Dark
ruchiforrochester.com
Ward 5 Deserves Better  ·  Election 2026  ·  Make Your Voice Count
Ward 5 is ready for change

Ward 5 Has Real Problems.
It's Time for Real Solutions.

Ruchi Gupta has spent 4 years inside Rochester's planning process and 23 years as your neighbor. She knows exactly what's broken — and how to fix it.

↑80%
Rise in unsheltered homelessness since 2019
80
Shelter beds lost in 2025 alone
8yr
Same Ward 5 rep, unresolved issues
0
Ward-level housing-first policies
Why Change Matters
Ward 5 deserves a rep who acts, not just talks.
8 Years — Status Quo
Opposed housing density zoning
No housing-first framework
Decisions made behind closed doors
Fear-based messaging on growth
Ruchi — Forward
Evidence-based housing solutions
Housing-first as a Ward 5 priority
Pre-vote transparency every time
Rochester's global future as an asset
Volunteer

Give 2 Hours. Change the Outcome.

Ward 5 elections are won by hundreds of votes. One canvassing shift puts Ruchi in front of dozens of neighbors who might otherwise sit this out.

Donate

No PAC. No War Chest. Just Neighbors.

This campaign runs on Ward 5 contributions. Give $25 or $250 — securely, with a real payment page and an instant receipt.

Yard Sign

Make Your Lawn a Statement.

In local races, yard sign density is voter psychology. Request one for your home or business in Ward 5 — free, fast, impactful.

"Ward 5 doesn't need someone who's been there eight years talking about what they'll do. It needs someone who has already done the work."

Ruchi Gupta · Ward 5 City Council Candidate · 2026
05 — Implementation Roadmap

From Squarespace to
campaign-ready in days.

Everything proposed here runs in SüRJ with no platform migration headaches. Prioritized by impact — the biggest wins come first, and Phase 1 alone will transform the campaign's online presence before the end of the week.

Phase 1 · Days 1–2

Domain & SüRJ Setup

Register ruchiforrochester.com. Configure SüRJ sub-account. Point domain. Rebuild all existing pages with elevated design, color consistency, proper hierarchy, and urgency-first copy. The site goes from template to campaign-grade overnight.

Phase 1 · Days 2–3

Forms, CRM & Contact Pipelines

Build volunteer, yard sign, and contact forms with SüRJ's native form builder. Every submission creates a tagged contact record in the CRM. Pipelines configured by action type. No lead ever gets lost in an email inbox again.

Phase 1 · Days 3–4

Donation Page & Payment Processing

Hosted payment page at ruchiforrochester.com/donate. Card processing through DropTheFee's integrated payments — same merchant infrastructure RMS already operates. Automated receipt emails. Donor records in CRM with amount and date. No more Venmo screenshots for compliance.

Phase 2 · Week 2

SMS Automation Sequences

Dedicated campaign phone number provisioned in SüRJ. Automated confirmation texts for every form type. Volunteer reminder sequence. Two-way inbox for direct constituent communication. Broadcast SMS capability for event announcements and GOTV pushes close to Election Day.

Phase 2 · Week 2

Email Nurture Campaigns

Welcome sequence for all new contacts. Issue-based email series tied to the three pillars. Donor thank-you flow. GOTV countdown sequence triggered 14 days before Election Day. All in SüRJ email, sent from a campaign-branded address at ruchiforrochester.com.

Phase 3 · Weeks 3–4

About, Priorities & Issues Subpages

Full interior pages for About Ruchi (timeline + credentials), Priorities & Vision (detailed policy positions with real substance), and Get Involved (expanded volunteer hub). Each page optimized for Rochester Ward 5 search terms.

Phase 3 · Ongoing

Analytics, List Growth & GOTV

SüRJ reporting dashboard tracking form fills, donor conversions, and contact list growth week over week. Expand SMS opt-in via yard sign QR codes and event registrations. Build toward the largest Ward 5 voter contact list this race has ever seen.

06 — Investment & Contracting

Straightforward pricing
for a defined timeline.

This campaign has a known end date. We're not proposing an open-ended retainer — we're proposing a campaign sprint. Fixed setup, monthly support through Election Day, and a clean close when it's done.

One-Time
$1,250
Setup & Build Fee
Domain registration + DNS configuration
SüRJ sub-account setup + all page builds
All forms wired to CRM with auto-tagging
Hosted donation page + DropTheFee payment integration
SMS + email automation sequences built and tested
GOTV countdown sequence pre-built and scheduled
Training session — Ruchi or campaign team
Per Month
$297
Monthly Campaign Support
SüRJ platform access + hosting included
Ongoing site edits, page updates + content changes
SMS broadcast campaigns to your full supporter list
Email marketing — issue spotlights, event announcements, donor updates
Community engagement support — respond, nurture, mobilize
CRM list hygiene + contact record management
Monthly growth report — contacts, donors, yard signs, engagement
Direct access to Steve for strategy questions + campaign pivots
Clean contract close the day after Election Day
$1,250
Setup
$1,782
6 months × $297
$3,032
Total through Election Day
Why this is the right number
A traditional political consulting firm would charge this for a single mailer. For $3,032, Ruchi gets a complete campaign operating system — real payment processing, automated communications, a CRM that grows with the campaign, and a site that actually converts visitors into voters. The monthly cost covers SüRJ platform access, which is included in our existing plan, so the retainer is real support hours. There is no padding here. Contract runs month-to-month from kickoff through the day after Election Day. Clean start, clean close.
Ready to move forward?

This is what a winning
campaign looks like.

Phase 1 — new domain, SüRJ setup, live forms, and a donation page that actually works — can be running in under a week. The site voters see today is costing Ruchi support she's already earned.

Meet Ward — Included With Your Build
A custom AI specialist trained on Ruchi's platform, voting record, and policy positions.
Right now, Ward answers questions about this proposal. After we launch, Ward lives on ruchiforrochester.com — answering voter and donor questions 24/7. Try him below.
Let's Build This → Book a Call