Tech for Campaigns, a Democratic organization made up of technology industry employees seeking to influence state elections, has operations in six states with overwhelmingly Republican state legislatures. It is expanding.
In an interview, Jessica Alter, co-founder and president of the group, said that starting this year, Tech for Campaigns will be working in battleground states as well as state legislative candidates in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. He said he would invest resources. The same goes for Arizona and Michigan, which the organization has focused on in the past.
The move is part of a new long-term strategy the group calls “Next Ten,” targeting Republican-dominated state capitals where Democrats have a chance to flip control of the state Legislature over the next decade.
Tech for Campaigns is a group of 17,000 technology workers concentrated in coastal cities like San Francisco and New York who volunteer remotely to support Democrats in state elections. This year, the company is using artificial intelligence to help create advertising and fundraising emails, allowing it to expand its resources even more than ever before.
The organization is unabashedly pro-Democratic, having formed in 2017 when progressive tech workers in Democratic states decided to think more strategically about supporting down-ballot candidates across the country. , this was the worst time for the party.
Alter said the organization fills a void that other Democratic organizations have not been able to invest in.
“These places are even more valuable because they're a little neglected. There's no one knocking on the door to help,” she said.
In contrast to Tech for Campaigns, many conservative technology figures are less involved in the 2024 election than in previous years, but Republican groups have also specifically said they are using artificial intelligence technology in their campaigns. It is stated in detail.
Republicans hold a majority in each of the six state capitals of the Democratic group's Next 10, with super-majorities in some states. In North Carolina, that means Republicans can unite to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. However, the chamber is split 30-20, and if Democrats win one seat and retain the governor's office, they could strip Republicans of their override powers.
“So the plan this year is not to flip, for example, the North Carolina Senate, which we work very closely with, but to break through to a supermajority,” Alter said.
Democratic state Sen. Jay Chaudhry said his party's long-term plan to make North Carolina more competitive includes getting new district maps, which would include putting more Democrats on the state Supreme Court. He said it was likely necessary to involve them. Last year, a new Republican majority on the state Supreme Court allowed new maps to be drawn that were far more favorable to Republicans.
Chaudhry said Tech for Campaigns is likely to contribute to about five state Senate campaigns this year, with more help expected in the coming years.
“Progressive and Democratic donors are far too often focused on the presidential level rather than the state legislative level. They are too focused on winning in an election cycle rather than winning in a decade.” ,” he said.
The stakes are heightened given the critical issues facing state legislatures, from abortion to election administration to LGBTQ rights. And with more than 7,000 members in the state legislature, there is no shortage of candidates with extreme views.
“There are people who signed the pledge to take Texas out of the union. There are people who are supported by groups that want to execute people who have abortions,” said Dylan Doody, executive director of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee. mentioned two ongoing controversies in the state.
Doody said he believes Texas has some chance of winning over Democratic voters as a result, and that Tech for Campaigns' help could give Democrats an edge.
“They're thinking much further ahead than a lot of the establishment and old money are thinking,” he says.
Tech for Campaigns supports state legislative candidates in a variety of ways. Assign volunteers to work closely with your campaign on specific tasks, such as website design. These volunteers also provide ongoing support with email fundraising and digital advertising, and many leverage their day-to-day work skills at technology companies large and small. Some support candidates in the state they grew up in, but others don't have a concrete connection to where they spend their volunteer time.
In addition to election activities, this organization also has a political action committee that is used to increase voter turnout. The company spent $10.5 million in the 2020 election cycle, $6.1 million of which went to ad buys for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, according to the nonpartisan research site OpenSecrets. The group said its 2024 budget will be $10 million to $14 million for all programs. Donors include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters, according to OpenSecrets, but the top donor is tech investor Jessica Livingston. Michael Duca says it's $1.6 million.
That money and volunteer support could go much further in a state legislative race than in a U.S. Senate race, especially in areas where state lawmakers aren't accustomed to outside help.
Texas Rep. James Talarico said some Democrats have shoestring budgets, but he needs $1 million to run in a battleground Texas House district. .
“There are organizations all over the country that are willing to support you by putting your name forward or by putting you on their website. That's great and any help would be appreciated. But monetary, volunteer, communication support. There are very few organizations that offer such specific assistance. Tech For Campaigns provides all three,” he said.
Talarico said he has known for years about claims that Democrats are trying to turn Texas “blue,” and that the claims are consistently divorced from reality and lack specifics. He said it was a great support.
“I've come across other organizations that want to see Texas turn blue, but I don't see a lot of them offering tangible support to make that a reality,” he said. says.
