Insights
Democrats have been executing a closely coordinated series of email fundraising campaigns to boost specific candidates, especially incumbent senators. This strategy ensures that fundraising efforts aren’t diluted by heavy competition and helps to reduce the potential for donor fatigue with high sending volume.
According to our post-election surveys and focus groups, donors are often overwhelmed by the number and frequency of fundraising solicitations they receive from political campaigns, parties, and PACs. Practitioners report that this is a necessary strategy to reach their fundraising goals with multiple, successive sends.
Similarly, as online fundraising becomes more accessible to campaigns and a critical source of funding, competition for a limited pool of donors has become fierce.
Based on data collected from Pundit Analytics, Democrats have conducted 5 coordinated sends with nearly identical emails across more than 20 campaigns since Senator Jon Tester announced his reelection campaign in February, 2023.
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) have each sent emails to their lists on behalf of all five candidates. Notably, each campaign uses different fundraising vendors which means these initiatives are being coordinated through an organization like the DSCC. At least a dozen Democratic House incumbents have also participated in these email campaigns as well.
By coordinating a message and objective, Democrats are effectively reducing the amount of competition for a given day. The beneficiaries are able to raise more money despite sending fewer emails.
This effort is not entirely altruistic. The sending campaigns are able to split the donation via ActBlue. A specified percentage (typically 50%) remains with the sender’s campaign.
