Candidate Growth on ActBlue Surges 51% Since Last Midterm Cycle

ActBlue announced on June 23, 2026 that the number of candidates using its platform has surged nearly 51 percent compared to the same point in the 2022 midterm cycle — the sharpest signal yet that the platform's strategy to serve more candidates at every level of the ballot is working.

Federal and local growth

The growth spans both federal and local races, though local candidates show the largest increases:

• Federal campaigns on the platform are up 38% compared to the same point in 2022
• Local candidates show a 68% growth rate, spanning every region of the country

The local growth is particularly pronounced in states where Democratic candidates have historically had less infrastructure to build on. Candidates in Utah, Indiana, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Kansas have more than doubled compared to the 2022 cycle. States including Louisiana, Washington, North Carolina, and Alabama are close to doubling.

The product expansion strategy

This growth is driven by ActBlue's decision in August 2025 to expand beyond donation processing and into the full set of tools a modern campaign needs to operate. Until then, each operational task required a separate tool, and the best tools were often priced out of reach for smaller campaigns.

The current product suite includes:

ActBlue Fundraising

The core platform trusted by Democrats since 2004. Mobile-optimized forms, one-click giving for 28 million donors, with a 3.95% processing fee.

Raise by ActBlue

Tailors the classic ActBlue experience for small state and local campaign teams who need straightforward, self-service tools. Features a 3.5% processing fee and is designed for campaigns raising less than $25,000.

ActBlue Field Tools

A full volunteer organizing platform that includes peer-to-peer texting, phone banking, and canvassing — with $0 licensing fees and pricing that scales with the campaign.

ActBlue Website Builder

Gives down-ballot candidates a professional campaign website starting at just $40/month, with no technical skills required.

Most ambitious new tools to date

The candidate growth announcement came on the same day ActBlue introduced its most ambitious set of new tools to date. The organization is positioning itself as a one-stop shop for campaign operations, not just fundraising.

As ActBlue stated in its announcement: "Every campaign deserves the tools to win. Now they have them."

The strategy appears to be validated by the numbers. By offering the full operational toolkit at a fraction of the traditional cost, ActBlue is making it possible for candidates who previously could not afford professional campaign infrastructure to compete effectively.

Implications for November

The 51% growth in candidates has significant implications for the November midterms. More Democratic candidates on the platform means more campaigns with access to professional-grade fundraising, organizing, and web presence tools.

For down-ballot races — state legislature, city council, school board — where Democratic candidates have often been outgunned by better-funded Republican operations, the ActBlue product suite could level the playing field. The particularly strong growth in historically red states suggests the platform is reaching areas that previously lacked Democratic campaign infrastructure.

The question now is whether more candidates with better tools will translate into more Democratic wins in November. With 19,000+ campaigns now on the platform and growing, ActBlue is betting that the answer is yes.