Campaign Trend Podcast

This episode is all about money and politics. We dig into the different sources of money that flow into the industry, who they go to, how they are used, and what all of this means for political professionals building businesses in the industry. To keep things simple, we’re going to speak about federal election spending because all 50 states are different. To help us understand, we’re joined by Mic...

We’re digging into all of the data and spending numbers for digital campaigning in the 2022 midterms with Kyle Tharp , Managing Editor of FWIW Media. He writes the FWIW newsletter and has a long resume working for non-profits and technology companies on the left, including ACRONYM and NGP-VAN. Kyle and his team have been fastidiously tracking the metrics for digital campaigns across the country an...

Juri Schnöller is co-founder of Cosmonauts & Kings , Germany’s premiere digital political communications agency. He’s worked on campaigns for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claud Juncker. Juri is at the cutting edge of innovation in EU politics and has also recently launched his own software platform Civical . In our conversation, we talk about the diffe...

No new episode this week, but some words of encouragement.  If you're looking for something to listen to, here are some recommendations: Politics and Professional Ethics – Prof. Peter Loge (GWU) How To Build A Career In Professional Politics – Michael Cohen (Modern Political Campaigns) How Political Entrepreneurs Can Break Into Public Affairs – Joe Pounder (Bullpen Strategy Group) How To Inno...

Our guest today is Alex Keeney founder of Star Spangled Gamblers , a podcast and website about the world of political prediction markets. Founded in 2018, it’s the hub for the political gambling community. In today’s episode, you’ll learn about this controversial world of betting on politics, how predictors make their decisions, and how political professionals might derive insights from these mark...

Andy Yates is co-founder of Republican Ads , a self-service digital advertising platform built for GOP campaigns. He’s had a long background in running political efforts. In this conversation, we learn more about the political advertising space, his entrepreneurial journey, and what we can expect to see in the upcoming midterms.  Visit our website: CampaignTrend.com

Today we’re joined by Stephen Aaron , the founder of 527 Tracker , a new website that aggregates, analyzes, and alerts users to Super PAC spending in real-time. He also runs Perspective Strategies, a public affairs firm based in Washington, DC. He’s got a long background in the policy and communications side of politics. In our conversation we learn more about what 527 Tracker is seeing ahead of t...

Kyle Roberts , CEO of AdImpact joins us on the show today to discuss the latest spending data around political advertising in the 2022 midterms, the trends underlying the numbers, and his strategies for selling software in the political industry. AdImpact’s 2022 Midterm Projections Spending Report Remember to subscribe to the Business of Politics Show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never m...

Today we’re talking with Matthew Foldi , conservative journalist and former Congressional candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District. We dig into his experience as a candidate and gain insights about how he scaled his startup campaign. Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi Leave a review, get a mug! When you leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts , send me an...

Today we’re talking with Tyler Whirty ( @twhirty_ ), founder of HODLpac , a PAC for crypto voters that is also a crypto-native organization and community governed. Don’t worry if you don’t know what some of these words mean, we dive into more about the organization, what crypto voters want, and a quick intro to the industry.  The Business of Politics Show, hosted by Eric Wilson , is a production o...

Our guest today is Casey Phillips , principal at the Hereford Agency . He’s written and produced more than a thousand political television and radio ads across all 50 states. He’s worked at the NRCC and RLSC and serves as a general consultant on campaigns. He’s also written and produced a feature documentary called “Win, Lose, or Draw Straws” about the way different ties are resolved in elections....

Today we’re speaking with Joe Mansour , founder and CEO of Speak4 , a new advocacy platform that makes it simpler for organizations to empower their supporter to speak up for the causes they believe in. Before making the leap to entrepreneur, Joe has had a long career in digital campaigns and advocacy. In our conversation we discuss what led him to build Speak4, what he’s learned making the switch...

Our guest today is Marcus Tetwiler , CEO of Sprinkle . It’s a new political tech startup that connects grassroots donors with candidates aligned with their values. In our conversation we discuss the state of online fundraising and the challenges of campaign tech startups.  Visit our website: CampaignTrend.com

Daniel Laurison is an associate professor of sociology at Swarthmore College, the associate editor of the British Journal of Sociology and a Carnegie Fellow. He researches and writes on social class and political inequality. He’s out with a new book that I’ve really enjoyed reading called Producing Politics: Inside The Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics For All Of Us....

Our guest today is David Kanevsky of 3D Strategic Research . He’s a data-driven strategist with a long career at organizations like the NRSC and the RSLC as well as experience as a campaign manager. David and I recently collaborated on a poll in two Virginia congressional districts to understand the effects of ranked choice voting in primary contests. In our conversation we discuss the poll, what...

Today we’re joined by Jon Black, CEO of Data Trust , the leading provider of voter and electoral data to Republican and conservative campaigns, parties, and advocacy organizations. Prior to taking the helm at Data Trust, Jon worked with the Republican National Committee as a Regional Political Director and Director of Turnout & Targeting. In our conversation, we discuss the unique role Data Tr...

Our guest today is Stephen Rowe , Director of Digital Training at the Leadership Institute . The Leadership Institute is the premier training organization on the Right and Stephen runs their online training. He’s trained more than 18,000 activists both online and off.  In our conversation today, we learn more about LI’s approach to training, why it’s essential for effective operatives to grow thei...

Alex Niemczewski is the CEO of BallotReady, an online voter guide to local elections. They’re building the infrastructure for voters to be informed in every election that matters to them. BallotReady is venture back and has raised nearly $3 million to date. In our conversation today, we discuss the challenge of collecting election data, how Alex educates investors about the industry, and how Ballo...

Today we’re speaking with Wesley Donehue , founder of Push Digital and the Laurens Group . He works with candidates, political committees, issue advocacy groups, and corporations on crisis communications, brand reputations, and digital strategy. Wesley is the author of the just released book Under Fire: 13 Rules for Surviving Cancel Culture and Other Crises. The Business of Politics Show, hosted b...

Every startup comes with unique challenges, but campaign tech startups must overcome the added difficulty of the politics of politics. We built Startup Caucus to help entrepreneurs overcome these barriers more effectively, efficiently, and affordably to fast-track innovation into the field to help Republicans win more elections. The Business of Politics Show, hosted by Eric Wilson , is a productio...

Our guest today is Ryan Rodgers, President of the Strategy Group Company , a Columbus, Ohio-based political firm that specializes in media and advertising for political campaigns. They’ve worked for just about everybody. Ryan has a background in campaigns and entrepreneurship. In our conversation we discuss the importance of websites for campaigns, what works, and how campaigns can make better dec...

Jeremy Becker joins us on the show today. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Cloverleaf AI . Their product helps customers access local government meetings virtually and create actionable insights based on the data collected. In our conversation we discuss why Jeremy chose this space, how the Techstars accelerator helped his company and what has surprised him about the political industry. The Business...

Brad Parscale is our guest today. He’s the founder of Campaign Nucleus , a software platform to help campaigns break down data silos and connect with other apps in the campaign tech ecosystem. He was an integral part of the campaign team that helped Donald Trump win in 2016 and he was campaign manager for the re-election campaign for more than two years. In our conversation today, we discuss the r...

Today we’re joined by Rich Thau , president of Engagious , a leader in dial test focus groups that shape messaging and strategy around corporate and issue advocacy projects. For the last 20 years, Rich has been in the room helping clients test, refine, and improve the content they create to persuade voters, customers, viewers, and even jurors. In our conversation today, we discuss the dial testing...

Our guest today is Kate Faherty, CEO of Empower Strategies which is a recruitment, people operations and organizational effectiveness consulting firm for political firms and organizations. Before starting her own firm, she was head of digital operations for the Republican National Committee during the 2020 election. Just to give you some context, that was a team of 187 employees. In today’s episod...