AI advancements have consistently blown me away. At Cross Screen Media, we have built an internal team focused solely on developing AI tools. We actively track time saved with AI and will roll out AI-first tools to our customers soon.
How is the broader market of political consultants across parties using AI? The American Association of Political Consultants has released the results of a new survey that digs into the question.
How often are political consultants using AI?
AI usage has exploded in the past year.
Daily Usage: 57% (+23 pts since 2025)
Weekly Usage: 83% (+24 pts since 2025)
As more political consultants use AI in their work, opinions on its effectiveness vary. On one hand, only 35% of respondents consider AI "Very effective", but on the other hand, 76% say it played a "significant role" in the 2024 elections. The one thing that is obvious, AI adoption is growing and will continue to grow.
How does AI usage differ between parties?
This has been a hot topic this week after Axios published an article on how GOP campaigns are ahead of Dems in AI use.
So far in 2026, Republicans have been more willing to use AI-generated video in ads, like this one of James Talarico “reading” his own X posts.
Republican usage goes deeper than ads. Some other reported AI use cases include:
Monitoring social media for changes in trends on key issues
Experimenting with AI Agents to communicate with voters over the phone
Replicating polls with pools of “voters” using simulated people
The DNC has banned the use of ChatGPT and Claude. Gemini is allowed for data analysis and coding.
The AAPC study corroborates these findings:
What are political consultants actually doing with AI?
Respondents say they primarily use AI for everyday tasks like drafting customer materials or summarizing research and news clippings.
When it comes to really adding efficiency:
28% are automating workflows
16% are building campaign tech
This is where we can push our industry forward. At CSM, our newest hires are the ones pushing us to do more. AI + Personal Agency has leveled the playing field.
How do I use AI to write this newsletter?
There has been an explosion of newsletters and written content since AI greatly improved its writing skills. It is easy to spot. People don’t have time to read more; quality and brevity still win.
Here’s how I use it in Impressions to Ballots:
Images and Charts - Claude crushes data visualization, which has never been my strong suit.
Proofreading and Rephrasing - I’ve trained ChatGPT to suggest improvements based on my writing style.
Finding Sources - Both ChatGPT and Claude, along with eMarketer’s AI tools, have been really helpful in finding research to write on.
What does this mean for political buyers?
AI is an extremely powerful tool for politics. When used correctly, it can save time in an industry where time is a limiting factor.
Effective AI usage is a differentiator. The political firms that can use AI well will win more business and elections.
AI slop is real. AI does not replace a personal touch or industry knowledge; people know immediately when you’ve overindexed on AI.