Week 8: The Super PAC Machine: What It Really Takes to Run One
Tanish D -
When I created my Super PAC with a few clicks, I was immediately thrust into a complicated world of campaign finance. Within hours of registration, my inbox was filled with solicitations from political vendors offering everything from voter data to compliance software. The reality of running a major Super PAC is far more complex than simply filling out an FEC form.
Less than 24 hours after registering, I received an email from ISPolitical offering “political accounting / financial disclosure software” with “no charge for committees raising below our threshold.” The same day, Candice Evans from L2 Data congratulated me on my new Super PAC and pitched their voter database services, boasting “Total Voters: 4,416,823, Cell Numbers: 2,878,638” in Arizona alone. Days later, she followed up offering “free access to our DataMapping interface” to “find truly targeted high-quality audiences.”
This immediate vendor response reveals the sophisticated infrastructure supporting Super PACs. The largest operations employ dozens of specialized professionals: data scientists analyzing voter targeting models, compliance experts navigating complex FEC regulations, media buyers negotiating ad placements, creative teams producing advertisements, and fundraisers cultivating wealthy donors.
According to FEC reports, Future Forward PAC spent approximately millions on “research, polling and data” services in 2020. While the exact staffing numbers aren’t publicly detailed in a single source, the organizational leadership included Chauncey McLean (President) and several key operational directors. The PAC maintained a sophisticated operation with separate teams handling media buying, creative production, fundraising, and analytics.
Modern Super PACs function like parallel campaign operations with former campaign staffers often moving to “independent” Super PACs supporting the same candidate. These groups have become extraordinarily sophisticated. They analyze and dissect the electorate with surgical precision.”
Obviously, as a high school student with limited resources, I can’t replicate this infrastructure. My “Lights Out” Super PAC can’t have data scientists or media buyers. In my next post, I’ll explore how someone could run a micro-Super PAC, focusing on clear messaging and grassroots engagement rather than big data and expensive consultants. The contrast between industrial-scale Super PACs and my one-person operation highlights exactly what I’ve been learning throughout this project: our campaign finance system technically allows anyone to participate while practically ensuring that only the wealthy and well-connected can truly influence the conversation.
Works Cited:
Campaign Legal Center. “PACs, Super PACs, and More: Your Guide to Key Election Spending Vehicles.” Campaign Legal Center, 2024, campaignlegal.org/update/pacs-super-pacs-and-more-your-guide-key-election-spending-vehicles.
Lashinsky, Eric. “What Makes Super PACs Super: A Legal Primer.” American Bar Association, Sept.-Oct. 2024, www.americanbar.org/groups/gpsolo/resources/magazine/2024-september-october/what-makes-super-pacs-super-legal-primer/.
Allen, Shawn. “5 Myths About Super PACs.” Inside Political Law, 6 Feb. 2015, www.insidepoliticallaw.com/2015/02/06/5-myths-about-super-pacs/.
Levinthal, Dave. “Judge Blows the Lid off Super PAC Fundraising Limits.” Politico, 8 Apr. 2024, www.politico.com/news/2024/04/08/super-pac-fec-limits-00150672.
OpenSecrets. “Future Forward USA.” OpenSecrets, 2024, www.opensecrets.org/orgs/future-forward-usa/summary?id=D000072217.