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What if the political consulting industry isn't the competitive free market everyone assumes it is? Jordan Lieberman, CEO of Powers Interactive, analyzed over 54 million federal campaign transactions to reveal the hidden architecture of political consulting. In this episode, Jordan shares eye-opening findings about vendor survival rates, the power of alumni networks, and why 93% of consultants don't make it a decade in the business. We discuss how institutions like the Leadership Institute and party committees create lasting professional networks, why digital shops churn while printers endure, and what Jordan calls the "hollowing out of the middle class" in political consulting. Plus, Jordan offers counterintuitive career advice: why losing campaigns might actually lead to more success than winning them. If you want to understand how campaign money really flows and what it takes to build a lasting career in politics, this conversation is essential listening. 

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What should smart campaigners be doing right now to prepare for 2026? In this special episode, we're sharing a recent webinar hosted by Campaigns & Elections and sponsored by Prompt.io, where host Eric Wilson sits down with Farz Sokhansanj, President of Prompt.io, to unpack the tech trends and strategic shifts that will define the next election cycle.

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Billy McBeath from Senate Leadership Fund reveals why most political campaigns are still buying connected TV like it's 2015—and what they should do instead.

He breaks down the breakthrough YouTube study that forced SLF to rebuild their entire advertising strategy mid-cycle, discovering that 14 impressions on YouTube moved polling numbers like broadcast TV. Billy explains how to get modeling, polling, and reporting to actually talk to each other, why fragmentation is costing campaigns thousands in wasted impressions, and the four rules for smarter CTV buying in 2026.

If you're spending six figures or more on digital video, this episode will save you money.

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Security expert Bruce Schneier joins Campaign Trend host Eric Wilson to discuss his upcoming book "Rewiring Democracy" and how AI is already transforming politics behind the scenes. From AI-written laws in Brazil to chatbots helping local candidates engage voters, Schneier explores AI's potential as both a democratizing force and power concentrator. He introduces his "four S's" framework for understanding when AI replaces humans and addresses why deepfakes aren't the biggest concern. The conversation covers AI polling, regulation challenges, and the concept of AI-enhanced citizenship while rejecting both utopian and dystopian extremes. 

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WinRed CEO Ryan Lyk joins Eric Wilson for a revealing conversation about how GOP fundraising has transformed since 2018. The "WinRed Effect" report reveals stunning shifts in donor behavior, from smaller gifts given more frequently to massive growth in down-ballot digital programs. Lyk discusses battling Big Tech suppression, innovative solutions for SMS deliverability, and exclusive details on upcoming "recurring retention" features that will revolutionize how campaigns manage donor subscriptions and reduce churn rates. 

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As campaigns gear up for the 2026 midterms, new tech changes threaten online fundraising. Apple's iOS 26 will filter texts from unknown numbers, potentially blocking campaign messages from reaching 65% of donors who use iPhones. Meanwhile, Gmail has been flagging Republican fundraising emails with WinRed links as dangerous while ActBlue links pass through unfiltered. TAG Strategies' Dave Purkert breaks down these challenges and shares strategies campaigns can use to protect their donor outreach and fundraising operations. 

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Eric Wilson discusses groundbreaking research from the Center for Campaign Innovation on using AI to analyze open-ended survey responses. In this special episode, producer Adam Belmar interviews Eric about testing four AI models—ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Gemini—to code voter responses in a battleground congressional district. Discover how AI can revolutionize campaign research by processing qualitative voter feedback faster and more affordably, plus practical implementation strategies for political professionals. 

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Political strategist and novelist Robert Moran joins Eric Wilson to discuss his new book "Lincoln 2.0," a political thriller exploring AI candidates in future elections. They dive into whether voters would accept a digitally resurrected Abraham Lincoln running for president, the technological requirements for AI candidates, and regulatory challenges facing this emerging reality. The conversation covers real-world examples like Modi's digital avatar in India, AI debate prep possibilities, and the potential for campaigns to create digital clones of candidates. Moran predicts presidential libraries will soon create AI versions of past presidents, making this speculative fiction feel surprisingly close to reality. 

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In this episode of Campaign Trend, host Eric Wilson sits down with Ron Nehring, Director of International Programs at the Leadership Institute and former national spokesman for Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign, to discuss the critical gaps in campaign technology for down-ballot races.

Nehring outlines five key challenges facing campaign tech developers: building affordable message testing tools for local campaigns, segmenting voters by engagement level using the "core vs. crowd" framework, translating digital insights into analog strategy, creating better feedback loops to replace unreliable polling, and developing tools that challenge prevailing political narratives.

The conversation reveals why political insiders often struggle to connect with non-political voters and offers practical solutions for tech entrepreneurs looking to penetrate the fragmented world of local campaigns. Recorded at the Leadership Institute's studios following Nehring's presentation at ElectTech San Francisco.

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How does visual design influence voter behavior and campaign effectiveness? In this episode of Campaign Trend, host Eric Wilson speaks with Shane Helm, founder of RightPixel, about the critical role of design in political campaigns. They explore why campaigns often shortchange the design process, the importance of designing for voters rather than candidates or spouses, and how red, white, and blue still outperform trendy color schemes with American audiences. The conversation covers measuring ROI on design investments, incorporating AI tools like Midjourney for image creation while avoiding AI logo generators, and the growing need to design for short-form video content to reach Gen Z voters. Helm also discusses his biggest pet peeve in political design—campaigns trying to reinvent the wheel instead of building on proven design language—and why authentic, simple, patriotic design continues to drive voter response and action. 

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