Patrick McHugh, co-founder of Gambit Strategies, was the Executive Director of Priorities USA in 2020 as the main super PAC allied with the Biden Presidential campaign. Prior to that, he had stints at the DSCC and working in the opp research department on major Democratic campaigns. In this conversation, we explore Patrick's roots in opposition research, his experiences running big organizations and on the campaign trail, and mine his deep expertise on emerging trends and best practices in digital persuasion advertising.
IN THIS EPISODE
Growing up in suburban Maryland, near DC but not of DC...
The family tragedy that demonstrated how precarious the middle class can be...
What set Patrick on a course toward working in politics...
Lessons learned working for John Edwards for President in 2007 and Kay Hagan for Senate in 2008...
The new opposition research tactic Patrick helped spearhead in 2008...
Why Patrick gravitated to opp research in his first few campaign jobs...
Some of Patrick's favorite opp research findings and stories...
Patrick's memorable opp research trip to Hawaii...
Patrick's stints during both good and bad cycles at the DSCC...
Patrick moves into senior leadership as Executive Director of the Priorities USA Super PAC...
Patrick on one tactical approach that helped Biden in 2020 that was disregarded by Democrats in 2024...
How Patrick handled asking for big checks as ED of Priorities...
Patrick develops an expertise in digital persuasion and starts Gambit Strategies...
Patrick's insights on how voters watch TV and what it means for campaigns...
Will streaming options become even more fractured or more consolidated...
How digital content should differ than traditional linear TV content...
The kind of junior digital staffers Patrick looks for to join Gambit Strategies...
Patrick recommends some of his favorite sources of digital trends and data...
AND George W. Bush, Ana Caprara, Guy Cecil, Hillary Clinton, DSCC, Elizabeth Dole, frozen records, Amy Gooden, Heidi Heitkamp, Martha McKenna, Linda McMahon, Chris Murphy, press vortexes, JB Pritzker, rocking chairs, Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority PAC, tier 5 races, Donald Trump, Two Americas, John Walsh, Elizabeth Warren...& more!
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com