Lincoln Labs, a startup in Silicon Valley, is aiming to help center-right groups utilize technology to improve outcomes, the New York Times reported.
In 2012, Republicans spent in excess of $1 billion in their attempt to win back the Senate and elect Governor Mitt Romney to replace former President Barack Obama. It was during this time that Republicans realized that they were behind the Democrats in one area—technology.
"Among the conclusions: Republicans were being badly beaten in the data war," the article states. "Different party institutions did a poor job of collaborating with one another and with outside allies."
"While Democratic campaigns increasingly used advanced analytics and data gathering to rigorously test different ways of reaching voters, Republicans still relied too much on gut and instinct. They had failed to foster a ‘culture of data and learning,’ as the Democrats had, and needed to deepen the talent pool," the article states.
With midterm elections coming up, the right has now decided to invest in sophisticated data-analytics programs such as grass-roots databases and interactive platforms that will allow them to reach voters and push them to vote.
Lincoln Labs attempts to bring together experts in technology by organizing meet-ups and hackathons. In addition, the group aims to find skilled programmers and engineers to help out Republican groups with their technological goals.
"In an industry where partisan politics has little cachet, and where prominent Republicans—like Meg Whitman of Hewlett-Packard—are relatively rare, the task of finding skilled programmers and engineers has fallen to scouts like [cofounder] Mr. [Aaron] Ginn," the article explains.