They are trying to disrupt the Republican control.
Tech for Campaigns, a Democratic organization comprised of tech industry workers, is expanding its efforts to influence state elections in six states where Republicans currently hold significant majorities in state legislatures. Led by Jessica Alter, the organization plans to allocate resources to support state legislative candidates in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas as part of its new strategic initiative called “Next Ten.” This initiative aims to target Republican-dominated state capitals where Democrats have a chance to gain control of the legislature within the next decade.
The organization, which counts 17,000 tech workers primarily based in coastal cities like San Francisco and New York, will be utilizing remote volunteers to assist Democratic candidates in state legislative races. Leveraging artificial intelligence, they plan to develop ads and fundraising emails to optimize their resources. Founded in 2017, Tech for Campaigns aligns itself openly with the Democratic agenda and seeks to address the lack of investment from other Democratic groups in states where assistance is less forthcoming.
In contrast to the engagement of Tech for Campaigns, some conservative tech figures have scaled back their involvement in the 2024 election. However, Republican groups have also indicated their intention to utilize artificial intelligence technology for their electoral strategies. Across the six target states identified in Tech for Campaigns’ “Next Ten” initiative, Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, with some states even having supermajorities.
In North Carolina, for example, Republican control allows them to override any veto by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper if they remain unified. However, with the chamber split at 30-20, Democrats could diminish the Republican supermajority by gaining just one seat while retaining the governorship. The immediate objective for Tech for Campaigns in North Carolina is not to outrightly flip the state Senate but to weaken the Republican supermajority. Democratic State Senator Jay Chaudhuri outlined the party’s broader strategy, including efforts to secure new district maps, which may require bolstering the Democratic presence on the state’s highest court.
Chaudhuri expressed appreciation for Tech for Campaigns’ involvement and anticipates assistance in several state Senate campaigns this year, with further collaboration expected in the future. He emphasized the importance of focusing on state legislative races given their significant impact on critical issues such as abortion, election administration, and LGBTQ rights.
