Dem PACs gear up to battle each other for 2028

2 days ago7 min read3 comments

The Democratic Party's financial war machines are already locking targets for 2028, and the opening salvos reveal a fundamental schism over how to wield political power in the digital age. Future Forward, the undisputed heavyweight that raised a staggering $900 million last cycle, faces an insurgent challenge from Priorities USA, the party's former champion that's been relegated to the sidelines.This isn't just a turf war over donor dollars; it's a philosophical battle for the soul of Democratic strategy, pitting Future Forward's data-obsessed, TV-centric model of rigorously tested broadcast ads against Priorities USA's conviction that the battlefield has irrevocably shifted to the fragmented, instinctual realm of digital engagement. The tension simmered throughout the 2024 campaign, where Future Forward's near-monopoly and its secretive, analytics-driven command structure reportedly created friction with the Harris campaign, with some officials bristling at what they saw as an unresponsive apparatus too certain of its own superior strategy.Now, Priorities USA, which raised a paltry $56 million in 2024 compared to its $258 million haul in 2020, is executing a classic political comeback playbook. They've brought on former Pennsylvania Rep.Conor Lamb as a strategic adviser to lobby donors and unions, and they're conducting Zoom trainings to educate contributors on digital media—a direct assault on Future Forward's grip on major funders. Their executive director, Danielle Butterfield, frames the fight in existential terms, arguing that relying on a single super PAC is a 'gross underutilization of expertise' in a media landscape that has 'completely shifted to individualized, always-on digital consumption.' Meanwhile, Future Forward's allies are digging into their defensive positions, touting a track record that they claim proves their method is the most effective steward of donor money, pointing to their impactful 2024 ads and noting they even outspent Priorities USA in 2020 when the latter was the anointed party vehicle. With a wide-open 2028 primary likely to stretch for months, the outcome of this behind-the-scenes power struggle will dictate not just which group controls hundreds of millions of dollars, but whether the Democratic general election campaign will be fought with the precision of a data-driven air war or the chaotic, viral intensity of a digital ground game.

#lead focus news

#Democratic Party

#super PACs

#Future Forward

#Priorities USA

#2028 election

#campaign strategy

#digital advertising

#political fundraising