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We’ve written before about name recognition being an important factor in predicting success in judicial elections.  And this story from the West Virginia campaign trail shows how true it is: “For the first time in history, a tomato-based condiment was the ticket to a seat on the state Supreme Court.”

The Charleston Daily Mail reports on the successful ad campaign run by Supreme Court candidate Menis Ketchum.  Playing on his unusual name, Ketchum ran two ads — one before the primary and one in advance of the general election– where a voter kept calling him “Ketchup.” Ketchum reports that his campaign’s polling reflected dramatic increases in name recognition due to the ads.

Name recognition is very important in these elections.  Indeed, Ketchum himself credits the ad as the most important factor in his election:

I worked hard, I worked continuously. . . . I never stopped. I met a lot of people. But I think the ketchup ad elected me.

What a way to choose judges.

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