Scoop: Democrats select single media buying platform for all state races
The group responsible for overseeing Democratic Party state efforts is strongly encouraging all its state campaigns to use a single digital ad tech platform called TargetSmart.
Why it matters: The move aims to help Democrats streamline their ad buys and save money, but some critics say the one-vendor mandate is anticompetitive and limits innovation.
"It's questionable when a party organization endorses a specific media platform without evaluating the leading technology providers in the space," said Grace Briscoe, EVP of client development at Basis, a large ad tech firm that manages campaigns across the political spectrum.
"In the high-stakes world of government and politics, it's imperative to pressure test the technology. I believe political marketers will continue to conduct their own due diligence to find the best tools for their needs."
Zoom in: After a meeting last week in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) passed a resolution to allow TargetSmart to become what it says is "the first and only Media Buying Platform built for the Democratic Party," according to a copy of the resolution obtained by Axios.
TargetSmart has been one of the leading voter data sources for Democratic political parties and progressive organizations since it launched in 2006. The company provides services to the Democratic National Committee to enhance their voter file.
TargetSmart also operates a demand-side platform (DSP) that allows its to buy and place digital ads on behalf of customers in a programmatic, or automated, fashion. Its ad-buying platform sits on top of its proprietary voter file.
The firm is still privately owned by its cofounders, Drew Brighton and Jeff Ferguson.
Between the lines: The ASDC argues that campaigns should use TargetSmart's tech for its digital ad buys because it's more transparent and efficient.
TargetSmart, which it refers to as the "Democratic Party Media Buying Platform," has voter file data that is "sourced by Members of the Association," the resolution reads. It "supports significant data royalty payments to the Voter File Coop and its Members."
ASDC President Jane Kleeb told Axios that the party "built the 'Democratic Media Buying Platform' from the ground up to put State Parties, candidates, and campaigns in control of how their ad dollars are spent."
She argues the platform is "the most efficient way for campaigns to spend their hard-earned dollars, using the best data to contact voters and empowering candidates with the tools they need to win."
How it works: The resolution, which was unanimously endorsed by all state parties within the ASDC, encourages member to institute a requirement that all state campaigns use the "'Democratic Party Media Buying Platform' through a digital agency that utilizes the platform."
It asks that campaigns "limit any and all exports of State Party Voter File data for digital onboarding purposes to only be accessed via secure API connection to the Democratic Party Media Buying Platform."
What they're saying:"For two decades our team has provided Democratic candidates with the right tools to reach the voters they need to win," said Tom Bonier, senior adviser to TargetSmart and formerly its CEO.
"For that reason, we were excited to have been chosen to build the Democratic Party Media Buying Platform, facilitating targeted communication with the voters Democrats will need to regain majorities and the White House."
The other side: The move is being met with skepticism by some within the party and the ad tech community, who argue selecting one platform weakens the party's ability to stay competitive against the GOP.
ASDC argues TargetSmart "removes fees and unnecessary barriers while leveraging the most up-to-date voter file data available." But campaign advertising executives Axios spoke with say there are smarter ways to manage expensive vendors, like creating a panel of approved firms that campaigns can choose from.
"You don't see the Republicans mandating one janky tech for their campaigns — they want to leverage the best of the tech industry," one political ad tech veteran told Axios.
The big picture: The Democrats have a history of selecting one vendor to streamline tech initiatives for down-ballot races — but with an industry as large as advertising, giving one vendor control is notable.
For years the party has relied nearly exclusively on NGP VAN, a privately-owned campaign software tool, for field and digital organizing.
Both the Democrats and Republicans rely primarily on a single small-dollar donation platform for the bulk of their elections. Democrats use ActBlue, and Republicans use WinRed.
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Fox News
23 minutes ago
- Fox News
Oregon girls open up on 'traumatic' trans athlete experiences that pushed them to fight back
Oregon high school senior Alexa Anderson is now a budding conservative heroine, but she comes from a family of Democrats. When the Tigard High School track and field star refused to stand on the same podium as a trans athlete at the state championship on Saturday, alongside fellow medalist Reese Eckard, Anderson learned right away the treatment an act like that prompted from the political side her family traditionally aligned with. "When me and Reese stepped down there was definitely some confusion, there was definitely some anger and just a lot of people who didn't understand why were were doing this, and it was scary. Everyone was looking at us," Anderson told Fox News Digital. "There was a lot of people on and off the field. I heard shouts of them telling us to get out of the way." The backlash did not end on the field. "There has also been a handful of people that just really don't understand that are reaching out and are calling me a bad person," she added. "When I received one of the first hate comments I kind of just brushed it off, I responded saying 'thank you for sharing your opinion, I respect your opinion, this is mine and this is what I stood for' but it didn't really bother me too much because I was prepared for it, I knew this was going to happen, and I have so many people behind me, supporting me and that number greatly outweighs the people who have been hateful toward me." Anderson was warned by friends, coaches and family about what would happen if she took the stand she took. However, she felt she had to do something as soon as she found out she would be competing against the trans athlete last week. The teen considered withdrawing from the competition altogether, but could not bring herself to waste all of her hard work to get to that point. So she and Eckard came up with the podium idea. Anderson had never even competed against a trans athlete herself in competition prior to that point, but she felt compelled to demonstrate her opposition for the sake of the other girls across the country, especially in her state, who have been impacted by trans inclusion. One of those girls is Glencoe High School junior Lily Hammond. As a sophomore in the winter of 2023-24, Hammond said she unknowingly competed against and shared a locker room with a biological male opponent on another team. She said she competed against the athlete multiple times, assuming the athlete was a biological female. "It wasn't until the last meet that I realized 'oh, that is a trans person,' and by that point it was too late," Hammond told Fox News Digital. "The shock that came was the mistrust and the lying, I felt very betrayed, I felt betrayed by the adults and the coaches on the other team that let it happen without my consent and my knowledge. My team didn't know, my coach didn't know… I felt very violated knowing that a man could have seen me changing." Hammond said she already had to deal with transgender students at her high school entering the girls' restrooms on a regular basis, but she called the experience with her swim team "traumatic." "At the time it was overwhelming and felt traumatic since I was kept in the dark," she said. Hammond is not the only Oregon girl "traumatized" by the issue either. Forest Grove High School senior Maddie Eischen and Newberg High School junior Sophia Carpenter were faced with the prospect of competing against a trans athlete in a state competition called the Chehalem Classic back on April 18. So both of them refused to compete. "I found out the day before, which led to me feeling the need to scratch myself from the meet. The whole day I had anxiety," Eischen told Fox News Digital. "My experience at the Chehalem track meet and scratching myself from the meet was traumatic, something I never imagined ever having to do." Carpenter said she found herself so overwhelmed with emotion from the experience, that she cried on the ride home after the meet. "It was emotionally traumatic trying to know what I should do and how I should respond to competing with [the trans athlete]," Carpenter said. The experience pushed Carpenter to make a visible point when she competed at the state championships this weekend. She showed up to her high jump competition sporting a T-shirt from the activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics. Now, beyond just speaking up against the state's current laws that enable males in their sports, Anderson, Hammond and Carpenter suggested the issue will play heavily into how they vote in future political elections. 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It is directed at the lawmakers and education officials who have enabled the males to get to that point. "I feel that they've just been misled," Hammond said. "The faculty at my school is feeding this, the faculty at other schools are feeding this saying 'it's okay if you want to be another person.'" In the last few days, Oregon has become one of the nation's heated battlegrounds on the issues, as the state represents symbolic significance in the sport of track and field. Eugene, Oregon, nicknamed "TrackTown USA," often hosts the World Athletics Championships, U.S. Olympic Trials and NCAA Championships. Now, Anderson's stunt at the high school state championship has put the state under a national microscope and a legal firm has already taken steps to bring federal action against the state. 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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Political notes: Braveboy wastes no time on hires, Shoemaker makes time for family, more lawsuits
Prince George's County At-Large Councilmember Calvin Hawkins, right, congratulates State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy on her apparent victory in Tuesday's special election for county executive. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Less than 24 hours after Aisha Braveboy declared victory in the special election for Prince George's County executive, the Democrat and current county state's attorney is already making moves. Braveboy announced Wednesday that Maxene Bardwell will serve as chief administrative officer and second-in-command for the county. Bardwell, a Prince George's resident, currently works as an internal audit manager in the Montgomery County Executive's office. 'I consider this offer to be just an example of forward thinking by County Executive-elect Braveboy to make sure that she has best-in-class skill and experience in her administration working for the people of Prince George's County,' Bardwell said in a statement. Braveboy's will not be official until next week, as election officials are still counting and certifying votes. But in election night returns, the latest posted by county officials, she had just over 89% of the vote over Republican challenger Jonathan White. But event before Tuesday's election, after surviving a nine-candidate Democratic primary in March, Braveboy had pulled together a preliminary transition team comprised of some top elected officials and business and community leaders. The team included transition co-chairs include Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) and Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux, Capitol Connections President Michael Arrington and High-Quality Care Nursing CEO Joy Davis. About a dozen people are on an executive committee that includes state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's), Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel) and Erek Barron, former U.S. Attorney for Maryland. 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Amici States additionally share compelling interests in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of children and youth, and in affirming the dignity and equal worth and treatment of LGBTQI+ minors.' Maryland, other states, take more legal actions against Trump administration And Maryland was one 18 states and the District that filed an amicus brief Wednesday urging the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling by a three-judge panel of the court in a Voting Rights Act case brought by a tribe in North Dakota. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians sued the state of North Dakota in 2021, claiming that the state's redistricting plan illegally diluted Native American voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A federal district judge agreed and ordered the state to redraw its districts, and when it did not, the judge imposed the tribe's recommended redistricting plan. 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The administration has threatened federal funding for the more than 500 jurisdictions it identified nationwide. Snowden said his group will have a monthly meeting one hour before the debate scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CONTACT US 'We contend that an informed electorate is the key to an effective democracy,' Snowden said. 'We commend all candidates who are running for public office. They are willing to be scrutinized, chastised, and criticized in their pursuit of serving the public.' Littman, who served on the city council for five years until his term ended in 2017, declared his candidacy in January 2024. He has also worked as an associate county attorney in Montgomery County and served on the national board of True Value Hardware. Pindell Charles, a retired prosecutor and member of the council since 2009, seeks to make history as the city's first elected Black mayor. Alderman John Thomas Chambers Jr. (R), who was Black, served on an interim basis for two months in 1981, following the suicide of Mayor Gustav Akerland (R). Candidates have until July 28 to file for the Nov. 4 election, according to the city's election calendar. The caucus plans to hold a candidate's forum after the deadline for any contested city council races in the city's eight wards. The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 6 and the general election Nov. 4.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
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Missouri governor allows more spending, property tax cap as he pursues stadium deal
State Sen. Kurtis Gregory of Marshall is sponsoring the bill to set aside state tax money to finance new and renovated stadiums for Kansas City sports teams (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Gov. Mike Kehoe expanded the agenda of the special session Wednesday enough to win Missouri Senate passage of bills with money for disaster recovery in St. Louis, changes to property taxes policies and tax incentives to finance new or improved stadiums in Kansas City. Initially scheduled to go in at 10 a.m., the Senate finally convened about seven hours later. Talks over what sweeteners Kehoe needed to get his key objective — tax incentives to finance new or renovated stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals —- culminated in his revised agenda. 'After productive conversations with members of the Missouri General Assembly this week, we are amending our special session call to allow for additional legislation in the areas of disaster relief, tax policy, and budget investments,' Kehoe said in a news release. 'We appreciate legislators working together to use this as an opportunity to show up for our communities by acting swiftly to help those in crisis, while also making smart decisions that secure opportunity for the future.' Under the constitutional limits on a special session, the governor must 'state specifically each matter on which action is deemed necessary.' Any attempt to address an issue not listed in the call for the session can be ruled out of order. The special session began Monday and can continue for up to 60 days. Kehoe is seeking quick action because both teams have offers from Kansas to relocate. The spending bill passed 23-10 in the early morning on Thursday, winning with a coalition of Democrats and Republicans with only Republicans opposed. The bill to finance the stadiums went to the House on a 19-13 vote, with three Democrats joining 10 Republicans in opposition. For several hours the chamber stalled on the stadium bill, working late into the night. The bill includes all the tax provisions necessary to finance the stadiums, plus disaster relief provisions and an expansion of a tax credit program supporting amateur sporting events. Shortly before 1 a.m., the impasse cleared and bill sponsored by state Sen. Kurtis Gregory was given initial approval. Within a few hours, the final votes were held and the Senate adjourned until June 16. For several hours, debate focused on a proposal from state Sen. Joe Nicola, a Republican from Independence, to freeze the maximum increase in annual property tax bills at 5% in some counties. Then state Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette, said she had heard enough. 'This discussion that we've had the last several hours is just an effort for the governor to try to get a couple of votes out of the Freedom Caucus for the stadium funding scheme,' McCreery said. She said Kehoe agreed to Nicola's amendment and added it to the call to wear down opposition. Then she blamed Kehoe and Republicans for using a procedural move to shut down debate during the regular session on an abortion ban and repeal of the sick leave law approved by voters in November. Kehoe could have had the stadium plan passed if the procedural move was not used, McCreery said. 'Here we are tonight, masquerading that we care about people and the amount of money that they're paying for things,' McCreery said. Democrats don't trust Republicans, she said, and the Senate should not trust the House. Until the appropriation bill, which totals $361 million including $175 million in general revenue, passes the House. The House refused to pass a bill with $235 million of the same projects and $282 million of additional spending during the session. House Republican leaders waited for the Senate to adjourn on the last day for passing appropriations before revealing that the bill would be spiked. 'We should not be doing anything until (the spending bill is passed) and over the House, and then the House has to have it on its way to the governor before we should be taking any action on anything else,' McCreery said. The stadium funding plan would allocate state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties. The cost is estimated at close to $1.5 billion over 30 years. State Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Republican from Marshall and sponsor of the stadium bill, said the public support for keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri was both a good economic investment and a good investment in the state's image. 'What's at stake if those teams go across the state line is over $2 billion of economic activity inside of the state of Missouri, over 13,000 jobs, and we just let the state of Kansas poach the pride and joy of the western side of the state,' Gregory said. The teams must give Kansas an answer by June 30 on an offer to pay 70% of the cost of new stadiums. Missouri's offer is to cover about half the cost. Some senators have grumbled that the teams should make a commitment to stay in Missouri if the bill is passed. Gregory said their desire to stay should be apparent. 'I also contend that the teams want to stay in Missouri, because if they wanted to go to Kansas, I believe they would have already signed on the dotted line to move those teams,' Gregory said. The spending bill was increased because of demands from St. Louis Democrats that Kehoe address the uncertainty over when or whether President Donald Trump will declare a federal disaster for the May 16 St. Louis tornado. That brought a new $100 million appropriation for storm victims in the city of St. Louis. Previously, the disaster provisions in the call — $25 million for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund to be distributed by the Missouri Housing Development Commission and a tax credit for amounts paid as insurance deductibles — were all applied equally to counties included in disaster requests. Kehoe has submitted four storm events this spring, with damage in 37 counties, to Trump for disaster requests. Two have been granted. The magnitude of the St. Louis tornado — a 22-mile path of destruction that cost five Missouri lives and damaged an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage — surpasses all other damage so far in the state. Damage to public property in the two disasters that have been declared is estimated at $52 million. The other new money added to the spending bill settled an issue for state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia. A state contribution to the new research reactor at the University of Missouri, which Kehoe cut from $50 million to $25 million to find money for disaster aid, was returned to $50 million. The only opposition to the spending bill on the floor came from state Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, who said the university should tap its $1.4 billion endowment to pay for the reactor. And Moon said he didn't like the disaster relief funds. 'The money that is going to be received by those who were hurt is nowhere near the amount that's going to cause them to be compensated and fully restored,' Moon said. If the state starts paying to repair property after storms, he said, people will not buy insurance. 'I don't think some of this is the proper function of government,' Moon said. 'Compassion, certainly. But unless people take personal responsibility and do the things they should be doing so that we don't have to, when is this going to end?' The tax change Nicola is trying to enact would cap increases in real property tax bills at 5% every two years, corresponding to the reassessment cycle. Officials in 34 counties would have the option of putting the cap in place through a ballot measure. The proposal is a response to rapid increases in property values and the resulting increase in tax bills. There was no estimate available of the potential cost to local governments. Nicola said there were enough protections to make sure all current revenue is maintained and new voter-approved levies are paid. 'Our property tax system in this state, in my opinion, is a disaster,' Nicola said. The amendment is the price of his vote, he told the Senate. 'I am a hard no on the stadium tax bill unless we get some solid property tax relief for my people in Jackson County,' Nicola said. 'I told the governor of this on Monday I can count on one hand how many of my constituents want me to vote for the stadium.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
