The Campaign-Industrial Complex

The Republican election system is broken. It works only for an embedded network of Washington-based consultants.

The GOP is a union hall for consultants. Here's how it works:

Candidates for Congress have told of the pressure to hire from a list of "recommended" DC-based consultants (i.e. the union hall). Doing so, they're told, will enhance one's standing with the national Republican campaign organizations and thereby bolster their chances of national GOP support. Not doing so gets you scratched from the list.

Keep in mind that most of these candidates are in marginal districts (D+ in the Cook Partisan Voting Index). We know that nearly all of them lose. Which means the consultant class functions as a boat anchor that sinks countless candidacies year after year. Yet candidates are left to pay for pricey services they either didn't need or could have aquired elsewhere for less.

To be clear: The way to attract outside support is to demonstrate that you can win. By recruiting, targeting and prioritizing, as we explain on this site. You can do that without the involvement of any of these members of the the DC consultant confederacy:

General Consultant

Otherwise known as a "GC", this entity manages all the other consultants, ostensibly to keep everyone reading from the same sheet of music. Usually the GC is also the media consultant, sitting atop the gravy train of revenue. Generally the GC collects not only a monthy retainer from the campaign but a percentage of the advertising placed with media outlets.

This is not to day that an experienced consultant cannot provide direction and insight that will benefit your campaign. So why not do it a la carte? Invite consultants to spend a day or two with you, and then issue their recommendations. Sure, they'll miss out on a monthly retainer but after you win they'll be able to say they consulted on your campaign.

Media Consultant

(Usually the "GC" because that's where the money is.) Until you have six figures in the bank it makes no sense to even think about a paid media campaign. When the time comes, you'll have several knocking at your door. Wait until then to choose.

Digital Consultant

This is the person who directs and places your "digital strategy", which includes a socual media campaign and possibly a website.

In our view a digital campaign is the same as a direct-mail campaign without the printing and postage -- but also without any assurance that your message has actully hit. It can be just as expensive. The average "cost per click" on Facebook 60 cents while the "cost per mille" is about $10 for every thousand times the ad appears on someone's screen. So the cost of $5,000 for half a million "page views" seems cheap but then it's nearly impossible to determine on whose screens your ad appears. So the strategy usually is to simply buy more clicks.

In 2026 digital advertising should be included in your media mix. If you're hiring someone, it's best to engage someone in your own state with demonstrated success in a campaign, and possibly the same area as yours. Start small, experiment a bit and try to measure your effectiveness before spending more.

Regarding your website: All kinds of site-building tools out there, and all kinds of people who know how to use them. Shouldn't be hard to find a local supporter to spin up an attractive site for your campaign.

"FEC Compliance" Specialist

Oh, please. This is an expensive bookkeeper with some federal-filing expericnce (based in DC, of course) who handles the accounts for safe Republican incumbents with money to burn.

You don't need one, despite the warnings you'll hear about fines and prison time for misreporting to the Federal Election Commission.

Nonsense! One of us has written public disclosure software for 30 years and has never seen anyone prosecuted over a bad report.

Find someone you know and trust. The FEC is easy to work with, their rules are easy to follow, and their support is unmatched among public-disclosure agencies. Candidates are assigned an examiner who will answer most questions. You'll never have a problem as long as you file on time, decline prohibited money (corporate, foreign and over the reporting limits) and accurately disclose everything required.

Pollster

Why pay for something that's available for free? There's more that enough open-source polling data out there to help you craft your message. A benchmark survey of your district probably isn't going offer any insight you don't already have. Perhaps in the final two months but certainly not now.

Direct Mail Vendor

Mail works primarily because you determine the recipients. Which is why it's so important to craft an attractive mailer, and is therefore worth hiring creative help for the job. But the most important part of a mailing campaign is list developemnt, which should never be left to a third party. Do it yourself. The software and the help is available. You can fine-tune your mailing lists based on your months of data entry. (i.e. you know who to mail and not mail.) Printing and production can be handled locally.

Where does this leave you? Feeding the beast.

Some of these consultants can be helpful but only after you've established your candidacy. Otherwise your days and nights will be consumed by raising the money just to pay all these people. Don't put the cart before the horse.