Democratic Campaigns Expand Use of AI Tools for Outreach and Fundraising

Democratic campaign organizations have increased their use of artificial intelligence to support fundraising, voter outreach, and digital strategy, according to recent reports and organizational updates. These efforts include AI-assisted drafting, message categorization, and new training resources for campaign staff.

Tech for Campaigns, a nonprofit supporting Democratic down-ballot campaigns, has incorporated digital, data, and AI tools into its operations. Its 2024 strategy describes a focus on turning out additional voters in competitive districts and serving as a central data resource for digital campaign efforts.

In 2023, Tech for Campaigns conducted a fundraising experiment in Virginia using Google’s Bard. The organization reported that emails generated with AI, while still reviewed by humans, raised 3.5 times more per work hour than those written entirely by staff. The nonprofit also noted that its Learning Engine, which uses six years of data, reduced email drafting time by an average of 34% while maintaining performance.

What the numbers show

• 15.6 million voters reached by Tech for Campaigns in 2024
• 263,000 voters signed up for early or mail voting through digital outreach
• AI-generated fundraising emails raised 3.5 times more per work hour in 2023
• Email drafting time reduced by 34% with AI-assisted tools

The 2024 impact report from Tech for Campaigns also described the use of large language models to categorize and prioritize voter messages in a real-time text support hotline. This approach was implemented to improve response times for voter inquiries. In addition, the organization planned to test the impact of disclosing AI involvement in ad design and to explore AI-driven responses to prospective voter questions.

Other Democratic-aligned organizations have also invested in AI initiatives. Higher Ground Labs, working with Zinc Collective and the Cooperative Impact Lab, established the Progressive AI Lab to support candidates with research, innovation, and shared tools. The National Democratic Training Committee released an AI playbook and training materials to help campaigns use AI responsibly for social media, outreach, and research ahead of the 2026 midterms.

In June 2024, the Democratic National Committee attempted to introduce voluntary guidelines for responsible AI use in campaigns. These guidelines emphasized human oversight, transparency about AI use, and the avoidance of misleading AI-generated content. However, the proposed guidelines did not achieve adoption among party campaign committees.

Industry reaction

Mark Cuban stated that campaigns already integrating AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini are positioned for success in the 2026 midterms. He also noted the National Democratic Training Committee’s AI playbook as a resource for campaigns.

The DNC’s proposed guidelines on AI use outlined principles of human oversight and transparency, according to the Associated Press. These principles were not adopted by campaign committees, as reported in June 2024.

Democratic campaign infrastructure continues to develop AI-driven strategies and resources, with organizations reporting increased efficiency in fundraising and outreach activities. Ongoing experiments and new training materials reflect a broader effort to integrate AI across campaign operations.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.