The Poltical A.I. Arms Race: Republicans Build, Democrats Push Back

Inside the AI Arms Race That’s Reshaping Political Consulting

By J. Mark Powell | Political Trade Secrets

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Republican political consultants report higher daily AI use than Democrats, 64% to 49%, according to a 2026 industry survey. On Political Trade Secrets, host Dustin Olson and guest Mike Hahn examine how AI is reshaping political consulting through campaign messaging, data segmentation, fundraising, and research—including American Pulse's analysis of 14,000 open-ended survey responses.

As the race to the crucial midterm election nears, a related race is running in red-hot overdrive. And this one shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. While politicians and pundits debate the use of AI-generated campaign commercials, a far more consequential struggle rages deep within leading consulting firms.

At stake is who can harness this new technology to gain a competitive edge over their rivals through better performance and faster learning. And it’s being waged with the same intensity as the military arms race of decades earlier.

Mike Hahn, president of Digital Strategy and Operations at Frontline Strategies, knows firsthand how intense the current struggle is. What started with the then-Rutgers student opening mail in Trump Tower grew into positions of responsibility in campaign communications operations, working on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 teams, including as director of social media. He later served as deputy digital director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. During that time, he oversaw digital media’s growth from a small campaign department into infrastructure that now supports the entire campaign operation. That has given him invaluable expertise in understanding not only what is happening right now, but the very high stakes involved.

And he recently said, while talking on the Political Trade Secrets podcast, that Republicans have the upper hand in using AI advantageously and creatively. Not only that, but the GOP cannot risk allowing Democrats to overtake it.

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Evidence suggests a growing number of Republican operatives are embracing emerging technology. A member survey by the American Association of Political Consultants found Republicans ahead in daily AI use, 64% to 49%, supporting Hahn’s account of a technological competition inside consulting firms.

Olson asked Hahn what “Digital” means in 2026. Hahn explained that in his company, digital is broken into two categories: fundraising and outreach. “On fundraising, it’s emails and texts,” he explained. “On advertising, it’s reaching people with the proper data, whether through streaming television, social media, or a specific website. It’s a way to reach people through the media’s filters when the press isn’t taking you. You can get your message across and raise money while doing it.”

Which brings us to how AI is impacting the current arms race.

“From a content standpoint,” Hahn continued, “there’s a lot more AI content out there. I think the Right is leaning into it more than the Left because we have a little more freedom of thought. We also employ it for campaigns in data segmentation and messaging, making sure the message reaches the right segment, so a guy in Iowa isn’t getting the same message as a woman in Maine.”

Hahn also pointed out that companies running campaigns now employ AI internally, too. It helps them ensure the messaging they produce resonates with donors, generates actual donations, and—perhaps most importantly of all—truly sounds like the candidate.

As impressive as all that is, Hahn says we haven’t seen anything yet. “I don’t think we’re anywhere near the pinnacle of what AI can do. At my business, Frontline, we’re taking the first steps and employing it in as many races as we can.”

Political Trade Secrets Podcast host Dustin Olson said AI is an increasingly common presence in his business, American Pulse Research & Polling. “We use it significantly. Last year, we did a survey with open-ended questions, qualitative research where we record verbatim what somebody says. It was a huge survey with 14,000 responses. Only 20 months ago, processing and analyzing that would have been impossible for us. Now AI sentiment analysis lets us know what those 14,000 responses were and parse them. Previously, we’d have needed a whole team, and they would have graded responses differently. Now one AI can go through the information. The ability to create multiple crosstabs is remarkable.”

And here’s the mind-boggling part: As rapid and consequential as the recent changes have been, human users of AI don’t get the chance to pause, absorb them, and mentally process these new dynamics. The technology is expanding so rapidly that keeping up with it and applying it in practice is increasingly challenging.

Which is why, Hahn insists, Republicans cannot lose the AI arms race in the political arena.
“Something came out a few months ago about Democrats trying to limit AI in politics while using it to generate DNC fundraising-email copy with ChatGPT. That’s the most basic form of AI use. On the Republican side, a major candidate signed with us specifically because of our AI use in content and data segmentation. That was the exact reason. I think the GOP has the upper hand. We’re sensitive to not letting Democrats get a technological head start, because it takes years to catch up. We’re trying to make sure we win the AI arms race of politics.”

Olson followed up by reminding viewers, “Democrats are calling for AI regulation and expressing the most fear. I think Republicans will be the ones who are embracing it.”

One thing is beyond dispute: whichever party loses the AI arms race runs the very real risk of remaining in the minority for much of the coming century.

J. Mark Powell is a former TV journalist and diehard history buff. His newest book, "Witness To War: The Story of the Civil War Told by Those Who Lived It" is now available.

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Go deeper into the political AI arms race with our new Political Trade Secrets episode, The Political AI Arms Race: How AI Is Transforming Campaigns, Advertising, & Persuasion.

Dustin Olson welcomes Justin Germany, founder of Outlaw Media and veteran ad-maker from the Bush-Cheney and McCain presidential campaigns, and Julie Sweet, Director of Advocacy & Industry Relations at the American Association of Political Consultants. From real AI-generated commercials to research on voter trust, they explore where Republicans and Democrats are gaining an edge—and how AI is changing both the messages campaigns create and the information voters receive.