In this episode of Campaign Trend, we talk with Jordan Lieberman, CEO of Powers Interactive, about what 54 million campaign disbursements reveal about how political consulting really works. Lieberman’s analysis shows that the campaign industry is far less of an open marketplace than many assume. Instead, it operates through dense webs of relationships, institutional alumni networks, and long-standing trust.
Lieberman describes political consulting as a field where trust substitutes for typical business safeguards. Campaigns often move money late, work on handshake agreements, and rely on people they’ve been “in the trenches” with. Two institutions in particular – the party committees and the Leadership Institute – play an outsized role in creating those trusted networks, with their alumni significantly more likely to endure across multiple cycles.
The data also captures a sharp divide in vendor longevity. Traditional services like printing show remarkable stability, protected by high capital costs and long-term client relationships. Digital firms, by contrast, churn constantly. With low barriers to entry and rapidly evolving tools, digital consultants have the shortest life span in the business. Lieberman notes that only about 8% of vendors make it past three election cycles, and survival rates differ dramatically depending on the category.
One of Lieberman’s most compelling findings is what he calls the “toothbrush threshold”: the point at which a client relationship becomes routine, comfortable, and long-lasting. Today, that threshold averages around $250,000 per client per cycle (though it varies significantly by state) which helps explain the hollowing out of the “middle class” of political consulting. Larger firms keep pulling in repeat business, while smaller shops struggle to break in.
The conversation also looks ahead at what might trigger the next “extinction event.” AI, Lieberman argues, threatens roles defined by repetitive execution. Consultants who don’t move upstream into strategy or advanced skills may find themselves replaced.
Ultimately, Lieberman says the industry looks chaotic up close, but zooming out reveals a surprisingly ordered system shaped by legacy, trust, and a constant influx of new players (40% of vendors each cycle) trying to fight their way in. It’s less a free market and more a living ecosystem with its own internal gravity.