Tech for Campaigns, a Democratic organization made up of tech industry workers, is expanding its focus to include six states where Republicans have strong majorities in state legislatures. These states include Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas, in addition to swing states like Arizona and Michigan. The organization, consisting of 17,000 tech workers who volunteer remotely to help Democrats in state legislative races, is utilizing artificial intelligence this year to create ads and fundraising emails to maximize resources. Tech for Campaigns was founded in 2017 by progressive tech workers in Democratic states seeking to strategically assist down-ballot candidates across the country.
Contrary to Tech for Campaigns, many conservative tech figures have distanced themselves from involvement in the 2024 election, however, Republican groups are also incorporating artificial intelligence technology into their election efforts. The Republican Party currently holds majorities in the six “Next Ten” state capitals targeted by Tech for Campaigns, with some states having supermajorities. For example, Republicans in North Carolina can override any veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper with a supermajority, but the Democrats could nullify this power with a small gain of one seat. The organization aims to break supermajorities in these states as part of a long-term strategy to gradually flip control of state legislatures to Democrats over the next decade.
Democratic state Sen. Jay Chaudhuri emphasized the importance of investing in state legislative races in the long term to make North Carolina competitive, especially in the context of redistricting and the impact of state-level decisions on critical issues. Tech for Campaigns may assist in up to five state Senate campaigns in North Carolina this year, with plans for further support in subsequent years. Dylan Doody, executive director of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee, highlighted the extremist views of some state-level candidates in Texas and the potential pickup opportunities for Democrats with the help of Tech for Campaigns.
The organization supports state legislative candidates by providing volunteers to assist with website design, email fundraising, digital advertising, and voter turnout efforts. Tech for Campaigns also operates a political action committee for voter outreach, separate from direct campaign support. In the 2020 cycle, the organization spent $10.5 million on campaigns and plans a budget of $10-14 million for 2024. Major donors include tech investors Jessica Livingston and Michael Duca, as well as prominent tech figures Sam Altman and Greg Peters. The resources and volunteer assistance provided by Tech for Campaigns are especially impactful in state legislative races where candidates may not be accustomed to external support.
Texas state Rep. James Talarico highlighted the financial challenges faced by Democratic candidates in competitive Texas House districts, where significant funding is required to run a successful campaign. He praised Tech for Campaigns for providing not only moral support but also tangible help in the form of financial contributions, volunteers, and communications support. Talarico noted that the organization’s focus on state-level races fills a critical gap in the political landscape, where many organizations are more inclined towards national-level campaigns. The overarching goal of Tech for Campaigns is to strategically support Democrats in Republican-dominated states and gradually shift the balance of power in state legislatures over the next decade by targeting key races and aiding down-ballot candidates.
