Hi folks, I’ve been exploring some easy livin’ post-Netroots, but even a fine summer slow must end sometime. Let’s start off running with an idea I wrote up for Campaigns & Elections a few weeks back: what new political tech firms are taking shape inside the plethora of Democratic presidential campaigns?
At least since 2004, individual Democratic campaigns have built data, digital and tech teams who after Election Day have gone on to create companies that now help candidates, independent spending groups and advocacy organizations on the Left. And that was when perhaps half a dozen serious candidates were running! In 2019, at least twenty campaigns have built some kind of a reasonable digital campaign structure, and most of the talent involved will be set free by next summer to build tech anew.
They may be joined by staff from the party committees and Democratic superPACs which have brought serious data and digital advertising expertise in-house for this election cycle. Plus, many nonprofits and other outside groups will staff up for voter turnout and issue-based digital persuasion — just about everyone on the Left can find a way to help make sure Trump doesn’t get another chance to destroy America.
With all of these teams experimenting with strategy, designing new tactics and building the technology to try them out, we should expect a wave of new start-ups and consulting shops to hit the streets in late 2020 and 2021. Check out the C&E piece for more, and please note: if you feel the need to make me rich, I’m happy to take your call.
– cpd