Case Study · Bastrop County · Republican Primary 2026
How We Turned a Competitive Race Into a Landslide Victory
Judge Gregory Klaus - Bastrop County Judge. A competitive 2022 win became a 2026 mandate - and the numbers are public.
The challenge
From competitive race to decisive mandate
In 2022, Judge Gregory Klaus won the Republican primary for Bastrop County Judge with a solid but competitive 54.75% of the vote - a margin of just 9.5 points over his opponent, Don Loucks. While a win is a win, the narrow margin left the door open for a stronger challenge in 2026.
The campaign faced a returning opponent in a political environment with increasing voter turnout. The central challenge was clear: don't just win again - establish an undeniable mandate that solidifies Judge Klaus's position as the overwhelming choice for Bastrop County.
The team was engaged to deploy a comprehensive digital strategy that would not only retain the existing base but capture the attention and support of new and undecided voters in an increasingly crowded information landscape.
The strategy
An integrated digital dominance strategy
This was not just a series of ads - it was a comprehensive ecosystem built for political success, designed to dominate the online conversation and persuade voters with targeted, relevant messaging.
High-performance campaign website
A modern, fast, mobile-friendly website at electgregoryklaus.com served as the central hub for all campaign activities - engineered from the ground up for peak performance in both traditional SEO and emerging AI-driven search, ensuring the campaign's official messaging dominated Google results and AI assistant responses.
Hyper-targeted Meta advertising
Leveraging Facebook and Instagram with advanced audience segmentation, specific messages reached distinct voter groups based on demographics, interests, and past voting behavior - highlighting proven conservative leadership, fiscal responsibility, and public safety.
AI & SEO visibility dominance
When voters asked ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity about the candidates, Judge Klaus's positive messaging was the most prominent and authoritative result. The campaign controlled its own narrative across every platform.
Intelligence-driven messaging
Proprietary War Room intelligence tools monitored the digital landscape in real time - opponent messaging, social sentiment, and search trends - allowing the campaign to adapt on the fly and maximize every dollar spent.
How we did it
The playbook behind the landslide
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Built an AI-optimized campaign website
A high-performance digital hub - fast, mobile-first, and structured for maximum visibility in Google and AI-powered assistants. When voters searched for information about the Bastrop County Judge race, the campaign's messaging was front and center.
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Deployed hyper-targeted Meta campaigns
Distinct ad sets for different voter personas. Conservative primary voters received messaging about fiscal responsibility and public safety. New registrants saw GOTV ads with early voting dates and polling locations. Every impression was intentional.
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Dominated the AI & search landscape
When voters asked AI tools about the race, the information returned was accurate, positive, and aligned with the campaign's messaging - a proactive edge in the new frontier of voter research.
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Real-time intelligence & optimization
24/7 War Room monitoring of opponent activity, social sentiment, and emerging narratives - countering negative themes before they gained traction and doubling down on messages that resonated.
Campaign creative
Targeted ads that moved voters
Every piece of creative was designed with purpose - from GOTV reminders with specific early voting dates to community-focused imagery that reinforced Judge Klaus's deep roots in Bastrop County. These ads ran across Facebook and Instagram with precision targeting.
Deployed on: Facebook Feed · Facebook Stories · Instagram Feed · Instagram Stories · Instagram Reels · Audience Network
The results
A resounding victory
2026 Republican Primary, Bastrop County: Gregory Klaus 63.82% (5,602 votes) vs. Donald Loucks 36.18% (3,176 votes).
| Metric | 2022 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klaus votes | 3,385 | 5,602 | +2,217 (+65.5%) |
| Klaus vote share | 54.75% | 63.82% | +9.07 pts |
| Victory margin | 9.5 pts | 27.6 pts | +18.1 pts |
| Total turnout | 6,183 | 8,778 | +2,595 (+42.0%) |
| Opponent votes | 2,798 | 3,176 | +378 (+13.5%) |
Turnout grew 42% - and Judge Klaus captured 85% of all new voters. The opponent gained just 378 votes while Klaus gained 2,217.
Conclusion
Intelligence wins elections.
The 2026 re-election campaign of Judge Gregory Klaus is a definitive example of how a modern, intelligence-driven digital strategy produces extraordinary results. By seamlessly integrating a high-visibility website, precision-targeted social advertising, and real-time campaign intelligence, the campaign didn't just win - it achieved a powerful mandate.
Judge Klaus increased his vote total by 65.5%, expanded his victory margin from 9.5 to 27.6 points, and captured 85% of all new voters. This is what happens when intelligence meets execution - and it's the same machine the Field School and Makeover & Boost are built on.
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