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Democrats Can Use YouTube, Too

The Democratic outside group Priorities USA is hoping to “take back the internet” by meeting young, politically checked-out swing voters where they are: guzzling sports clips on YouTube and commenting on video game streams. They’re starting with Ohio—and looking to ’28.

laptop stacey abrams democrat election party
The spot is the handiwork of Priorities USA, the Democratic outside group that launched as a major-donor super PAC in the Obama years but has since reorganized itself around digital advertising and training party staffers to reach fickle voters on the internet. Photo: Kevin D. Liles/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Peter Hamby
April 7, 2026

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In the coming weeks, gamers in Ohio—mostly apolitical young men—will start to see a certain ad on YouTube when they hop on the platform to watch video game content. It looks and sounds a lot like the short interstitial ads that social media–addled users have grown accustomed to: a random guy wearing headphones sitting next to a podcast mic and talking straight-to-camera; bold, rapid-fire text; quick-cut edits; and a loud, fast-talking voiceover. “If you play video games, you might’ve noticed your power bills are just a wee bit higher these days,” the narrator explains. “Well, you can thank this guy, Ohio Senator Jon Husted.”