HGL’s statement on the election outcome and where we go from here.

This is not the election outcome we hoped for. To everyone feeling hurt and pain in this aftermath: We see you. To all who poured their hearts into this fight, from organizers on the ground to our portfolio companies working behind the scenes: We thank you. Under exceptionally challenging circumstances, your work made a real difference, particularly in battleground states and down-ballot where Democrats defied national trends.

Higher Ground Labs portfolio companies delivered on their mission this cycle: They helped campaigns work faster, spend smarter, and reach more voters. They saved campaigns and organizations time and money when they needed it most, reaching dozens of millions of voters across all 50 states – as they were designed to do.

But the outcome of this Election, particularly at the top of the ticket, surfaces several stark realities for our party and our movement. Among them, we are reminded that our opposition is adept at shaping narratives, building communities, and mobilizing voters across social media, messaging apps, and online platforms – and we are falling behind. We are not evolving our campaigns at the pace necessary to keep up with society.

Many of our campaign tactics are out of date. We can more effectively utilize channels that are core to communicating with our voters. The world around us is moving into a new information paradigm at a dizzying pace — and we need to catch up. The gap between tech innovations and campaign strategies is becoming too large, inhibiting us from reaching the people we need to engage.

This is an opportunity to reimagine our investment in experimentation, innovation, and the adoption of digital media and technology to reach voters crucial to future victories and a thriving democracy. How can we better meet voters where they are today?

Higher Ground Labs has helped make our democracy more accessible for eight years now. We started in the wake of Trump’s first victory and have built a stronger startup culture than the progressive movement has ever seen. Our focus has been to help campaigns execute on the existing playbook well. But how do we change the playbook? In the coming weeks, we intend to spend time listening, learning, and strategizing with you to learn quickly and implement accordingly.

This is a moment to dive in, not step out. We owe it to our democracy, our neighbors, our children. We are charging forward on these questions because we must transform how progressives engage in the new technological and social landscape. We can’t take for granted that the tools and strategies that got us here will take us where we need to go.

Reach out to us. Whether you’re running campaigns, building technology, or reimagining how progressives and Democrats approach media and voter outreach, we want to be your partners in this crucial work. Our democracy depends on getting this right – and we can only do it together.
—Betsy Hoover
Founder & Managing Partner
Higher Ground Labs
P.S. We’re already starting the process of learning and growing from this cycle – and we need your help. If you were involved in any tech decisions on a campaign, please take our 2024 Election Tech Survey ([link removed]) . It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and goes a long way toward shaping the future of progressive political tech.
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