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Hard Asset Optimization

Race to 270

#Political Election

Practice this advanced asset optimization case interview question in the Political Election sector. Includes detailed problem prompt, clarifying questions, structured framework, and expert recommendation. Part of ProHub's 835+ consulting case library.

ProHub Comment

This is a complex optimization case requiring strong quantitative reasoning and structured problem-solving under time pressure. The case tests the candidate's ability to work with large datasets, perform comparative analysis across multiple variables, and ultimately deliver a recommendation that acknowledges client constraints while being realistic about outcomes. The ethical dimension—supporting a client regardless of personal political views—is also a key learning objective.

Estimated Time 36 minutes
Difficulty Hard
Source Columbia
10 / 100
The United States Presidential election is 2 weeks from today. Our client is the campaign manager for President Rump who is seeking re-election and is locked in a tight race with Former Vice President Widen. The US presidential election is decided by a general election which earns each candidate electoral votes. States are given electoral votes based upon their population ranging from 55 for California to 3 for 8 states. With a total of 538 electoral votes at stake, a candidate needs to earn 270 to win the election outright. A candidate wins the electoral votes by 50 popular-vote elections in each state. This allows every state to matter as for the most part, candidates and their parties are unable to predict which will be the key swing states. What factors would you consider in advising our client on how to pursue winning the election?

Clarifying Information

  1. What is the goal of the client? To win the election
  2. What political party is Rump? Republican
  3. What time does it need to be completed by? The election is 2 weeks away
  4. How much of the population is of voting age? 75%
  5. Of the eligible voters, how many will vote? 2/3
  6. Current Projected Electoral Votes that are guaranteed to go to each candidate: Rump - 162, Widen - 176
Mock Interview
Interviewer

The United States Presidential election is 2 weeks from today. Our client is the campaign manager for President Rump who is seeking re-election and is locked in a tight race with Former Vice President Widen. The US presidential election is decided by a general election which earns each candidate electoral votes. States are given electoral votes based upon their population ranging from 55 for California to 3 for 8 states. With a total of 538 electoral votes at stake, a candidate needs to earn 270 to win the election outright. A candidate wins the electoral votes by 50 popular-vote elections in each state. This allows every state to matter as for the most part, candidates and their parties are unable to predict which will be the key swing states. What factors would you consider in advising our client on how to pursue winning the election?

You

Thanks. Before analyzing, I'd like to clarify a few key questions...

Interviewer

Good question. Let me provide some background information...

You

Based on this, I suggest analyzing from these dimensions...

AI Score
Structure Analysis Communication Business Sense Quantitative
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Score coming soon
Practice this case with AI Mock Interview

A political campaign optimization case where the candidate must determine optimal allocation of limited campaign resources (4 event types, 1 per state) across 10 battleground states to secure 270+ electoral votes within 2 weeks. The underlying math involves population calculations, voter turnout modeling, and event efficacy analysis. The case culminates in Question 4 where opponent moves make the client’s victory mathematically impossible, testing whether the candidate can professionally deliver bad news.

Key Insights:

  1. Strong math structure and paper hygiene are critical—the case involves unwieldy calculations across 10 states with multiple variables
  2. Structured top-down analysis is essential: identify gap to 270, analyze battleground states by electoral value and undecided voters, match campaign strategies by efficacy
  3. Professional judgment includes supporting a client’s best interests even with uncomfortable subject matter, and delivering realistic assessments when outcomes become unfavorable
  4. Asset optimization requires comparing marginal returns: each event has different efficacy (President Rally 50%, VP Rally 30%, TV 20%, Door-to-door 15%), and multiple events on one state only yield highest efficacy
  5. Candidate must recognize when external factors shift the math to make victory impossible, requiring a strategic pivot to damage mitigation