American Bridge 21st Century
March 30, 2020

Unite the Country, American Bridge Announce General Election Partnership

Unite the Country, the Super PAC dedicated to supporting Joe Biden’s candidacy, and American Bridge 21st Century, a Super PAC designed to promote Democratic candidates and hold Republicans accountable, today announced a new general election partnership to raise, coordinate and deploy a 9-figure effort to support Joe Biden and defeat Donald Trump.

The joint partnership will be co-chaired by former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.

“I am excited to be a part of this partnership to support Joe Biden’s candidacy,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “A victory for Joe is a victory for America, because it means not only the end of the current divisive and unfit administration, but the beginning of building a just and prosperous country for everyone.”

“I’m eager to co-chair this crucial effort as we unite to elect Joe Biden as President and defeat President Trump,” said Governor Jennifer Granholm. “The smartest campaign efforts pool resources and align on strategy. This partnership follows that winning model and creates a much-needed hub for donors and like-minded organizations to collaborate.”

“After 2016, Democrats pulled together to ensure Donald Trump would be a one-term President. We saw new, effective, progressive organizations and donor collaboratives build an ecosystem that enabled big victories at the local, state, and federal level,” said Bradley Beychok, President of American Bridge 21st Century. “Going into 2020, we need to keep that momentum in place. With the general election in full swing, we’re thrilled to team up with Unite the Country, and further allies, in this strengthened effort to defeat Trump and ensure Joe Biden is the next President of the United States.”

“To beat Donald Trump, it is going to take everyone working together to spend every dollar smartly and strategically. We are proud to partner with American Bridge and other groups to promote the candidacy of Joe Biden, who we know will unite our country and restore decency and moral clarity,” said Steve Schale, CEO of Unite the Country.

“As Democrats, we’ve got one mission for the future of this country, and that’s to defeat Trump this fall,” said Democratic strategist James Carville, who serves as a Senior Advisor to American Bridge 21st Century. “A strong, coordinated effort by Democrats is going to be critical to victory in 2020.”

“The Trump campaign is going to have more money than any re-election in history,” said Jim Messina, an advisor to American Bridge 21st Century’s anti-Trump effort. “Building on the strong efforts to date, the next seven months are going to be critical for Democrats to coordinate for maximum effectiveness to make sure Trump is a one-term president.”

“These are two powerhouse groups with over $70 million raised between them this cycle, a combined 500 funders, and teams with deep experience in campaigns,” said Democratic donor Michael Kempner. “I am confident they will be able to put together the program and resources needed to elect Joe Biden as our next President.”

“I am a supporter of both of these groups and believe their programs are essential to winning in November,” added Democratic donor Debbie Simon. “It’s exciting to see them combine forces. We win when organizations like these come together.”

The joint agreement includes coordinated polling and research, content creation and testing, and a joint effort of public communications that target critical components of a winning Democratic coalition. Unite the Country will continue to focus on making the case for Joe Biden’s candidacy while contrasting it with Trump’s failed record. Their national program will have a heavy emphasis on communicating with Democratic base groups, including labor households and working-class families as well as suburban women. American Bridge will build on its paid media program targeting Obama/Trump voters in upper-Midwest states and other battleground states.

This partnership is the latest move by both organizations to pivot toward the general election fight. Last week, Unite the Country launched a seven-figure national ad buy to highlight President Trump’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic and announced Jennifer Clyburn Reed as a new board member. American Bridge has already spent over $11 million in an effort to weaken Trump’s support with white working-class voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The two groups have already raised more than $70 million combined between them as of March 28 from over 500 donors.