Three Digital Strategies That Will Define The Morning After The Election

Tomorrow night, the cable networks will spend virtually every minute covering the election results. The public affairs teams getting an edge have already moved on to what happens next in Washington and in statehouses across the country. Nearly every forecast has Democrats taking the House, and the Senate leans their way but remains close. Below the national headlines, governorships and state legislative chambers are poised to change hands too. In today’s short read, we break down the digital strategies that will define the morning after the election.

Everyone Wants To Meet The Freshman Class

Start with the House. More than 60 members decided not to run again this cycle, the biggest exodus since 1992. Another 11 lost their primaries. That’s more than 70 open seats before a single general election vote is counted. Add the 20-plus seats forecasters expect to flip, and the House freshman class could land somewhere between 90 and 100 members.

Now add the Senate. Eleven senators are leaving, and depending on how the battleground races break, analysts expect anywhere from 11 to 17 new senators. Put the two chambers together, and Congress could welcome well over 100 new members in January.

For perspective, the class of 1992 brought 110 new representatives and 12 new senators. It was the largest freshman class in more than five decades. This cycle could rival it in the House and top it in the Senate.

Then look at the states. Thirty-six governorships are on the ballot, and 15 governors are term-limited, so a large class of new governors is already guaranteed. Forecasters rate at least four governorships as leaning toward a change in party, with several more rated toss-ups. Democrats could hold a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. In the statehouses, more than 6,000 legislative seats are on the ballot, and 15 chambers are rated competitive, including both chambers in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. For perspective, the 2018 wave flipped six chambers. The 2010 wave flipped 20.

When a chamber flips, every committee chair changes. When a governorship flips, hundreds of agency heads, commissioners, and senior staff follow. The people who decide whether your bill gets a hearing or your permit gets signed could all be new by spring.

As new lawmakers arrive by the dozen, every trade association, coalition, union, advocacy group, and lobbyist in town will be lined up trying to get their attention. These freshmen don’t know you. Many don’t have senior staff yet, and state legislators often have almost no staff at all. So who do they listen to? Their influencers. That’s the campaign manager, the county party chair, the mayor who endorsed early, the donors who hosted the first fundraiser, and the pastor or union local president back home. In the first six months, a newcomer leans on this small circle more than at any other point in their career, because it’s the only circle they trust. That’s why a generic message will disappear into the pile. The winners will reach the new members and their influencers with the exact message that moves them. Broad-based, spray-and-pray campaigns will be less effective than ever in an environment where everyone is clamoring to introduce their issue at once.

Oversight Is Coming For Corporate Brands

If Democrats win the House, the gavels come with subpoenas, and they’ve told us exactly where they plan to point them. Democratic leaders have spent months laying the groundwork to investigate corporate donors to President Trump’s White House ballroom, along with other arrangements they describe as pay-to-play. Democrats also plan to lean heavily on records requests to private companies, which can’t claim executive privilege the way the White House can.

Translation: if your company or client wrote a check, received a tariff exemption, struck an equity deal with the government, or simply took a meeting that looked a little too friendly, assume you’re on someone’s whiteboard. A congressional investigation is a trial where the verdict is rendered in the press. The hearing lasts an afternoon. The reputation hit lasts for years.

The latest digital tools allow you to build audiences of exactly the people who consume any unwanted press, and help inoculate your organization from brand damage with the policymakers, investors, and other audiences who matter most to you. The critical ingredient in this tactic is speed. Now is the time to build your defensive campaigns for the trouble at your doorstep.

Last Call For Regulatory Approvals

President Trump’s term ends in January 2029. For any company wanting a regulatory decision in this business-friendly environment, whether a permit, a product approval, or a rule change, the clock is ticking. Regulators will be writing in a crowded environment of requests, and will be choosing carefully what moves to the top of the pile. This makes it more important than ever to ensure your issue gets the attention it needs to succeed. The best approach is both precision targeting of regulators and their influencers, and content specifically built and tested to move them. 

What This Means For Public Affairs

All three of these post-election themes share a common path to success. The audiences that matter most over the next two years are small, the stakes are enormous, and the noise will be deafening, from Capitol Hill to dozens of state capitols. Broad-reach campaigns are throwing pebbles into an ocean of noise. What breaks through is precision targeting paired with customization: knowing exactly who matters, and delivering each of them a message built for what moves them. The organizations that win this cycle won’t send the most messages. They’ll send the right message to the right handful of people. Election night ends one campaign. The morning after starts yours.

Three Ways To Operationalize This Email

🔱 Build your plan now to reach the newly elected policymakers both in Washington and the statehouses.

🔱 If you're in the line of fire for oversight, design your strategy now to reach the people consuming any damaging press.

🔱 If you're on the clock for a regulatory decision in this Administration, design your campaign now to get the attention of the policymakers who hold the pen.