Data
Gerrymandering in the Age of Real-Time Redistricting
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
“Changes to the Voting Rights Act have resulted in a lack of ethnic data in voter files, adding to the challenge of targeting specific voter demographics.”
Democrats' Edge In The Partisan Email Divide
Center for Campaign Innovation
“Of the 35 Democratic campaigns we analyzed, 34 send their email from NGP VAN platforms and a single block of IP addresses is shared by 63% of these campaigns.”
Fundraising
ActBlue CEO Invokes Fifth Amendment Repeatedly in Testimony to Congress
New York Times
“The Democrats at the hearing posed no questions to Ms. Wallace-Jones but instead attacked WinRed, the Republican fund-raising platform, and Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Senate nominee who has mounted his own investigation of ActBlue.”
GOP-Led Hearing on ActBlue Reaches Tense Standstill
Campaigns & Elections
“The hearing highlights a fast-emerging political reality that could threaten the long-term sustainability of donation-processing platforms.”
Why I Will Use My Fifth Amendment Rights Before Congress
Washington Post
“I lead an organization that processed $3.5 billion in contributions in 2024, with an average donation amount of $50 or less — many from first-time donors who simply wanted a voice.”
A New Era For Search Engine Fundraising
Blue State
“Our research found that AI was a growing tool in donor research and that nearly 60% of web searches no longer end in a visit to a website, instead remaining within the search interface.”
Social Media
Why Your Creator Program Isn't Working
FWIW
“There is no way to do effective political creator engagement at scale unless you have talented, reasonably senior staff who are resourced to spend most of their time building relationships with dozens, if not hundreds, of individual creators.”
Who's Really Paying Your Favorite Political Creator?
Chaotic Era
“You're no longer just an advisor, you're now a mouthpiece. And when you become a mouthpiece, voters have a right to know that you've been paid by the candidate.”
Kalshi Asks Paid Influencers to Delete Posts Over LA Mayoral Election
Semafor
“Kalshi and Polymarket have enlisted hundreds of paid influencers to share odds, ginning up interest in trading on the outcomes of everything from sporting events to political races to odds of public figures saying certain words.”
How Much Do Political Influencers Actually Influence Politics?
Searchlight Institute
“They're tenacious, and they've become a true force for holding candidates accountable or otherwise pushing for them to mutually agree on policies and positions. They're here to stay.”
Technology
The Partisan Divide In Campaign AI Use
Anchor Change
“Republican campaigns are producing more AI content faster, and Democratic campaigns are governing it more carefully.”
Even With AI, We Still Have To Poll Humans
Eric Wilson
“AI, in other words, is a rearview mirror, looking backwards. It's not a windshield.”