DSPolitical Launches Precision Ad Tool Using Catalist Model To Target Likely Democratic Primary Voters

DSPolitical, a Democratic digital advertising firm, announced a new precision digital-ad targeting service designed to help campaigns identify and reach voters most likely to participate in Democratic primaries. The offering integrates Catalist’s 2026 Democratic Primary Vote Propensity model, which ranks registered voters on a 0–100 scale to reflect their likelihood of casting a Democratic primary ballot.

How the Tool Works

The Catalist model is tailored to capture the unique turnout dynamics of primary contests, which can vary widely by state and election cycle. DSPolitical said campaigns can use the model’s scores to prioritize online and streaming ad placements toward voters who are most likely to show up on primary day, helping campaigns allocate digital ad budgets more efficiently.

“In 2026, Democrats need to use every tool in the party’s toolbox to take back Congress, but to make it to November, they must first win their primaries,” DSPolitical CEO Mark Jablonowski said. “Turnout is through the roof, making Democratic primaries more competitive and less predictable, so campaigns need better ways to understand who is actually going to show up and vote.”

DSPolitical plans to make the service available ahead of the cluster of primaries in May and June, when voters in more than a dozen states will go to the polls. The company emphasized that primary outcomes often hinge on relatively small slices of the electorate, so accurately identifying likely participants is a high priority for campaigns.

“This model will help campaigns better understand who is likely to vote in these important contests so they can plan outreach more effectively,” said Amanda Peterson Beadle, Catalist’s director of digital engagement.

Why It Matters

The announcement comes as Democrats aim to flip the U.S. House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority, and as the 2026 cycle shows early signs of anti-Trump dynamics similar to what helped Democrats in 2018. Political advertising continues shifting from traditional cable and broadcast toward streaming platforms and online channels, and campaigns are deploying a variety of initiatives to register and mobilize diverse voter groups.

By pairing a turnout-focused propensity model with programmatic digital advertising, DSPolitical and Catalist aim to give Democratic campaigns a more surgical way to reach likely primary voters—and to do so before critical early contests in May and June.