The state of American politics
Where Democrats need to adapt now, what is signal and what is noise in the current landscape, and the specific steps to reconnect with voters.
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Media kit
Adrianne Marsh
Veteran Democratic strategist and CEO of Altum Insight. Two decades of winning campaigns, and a specific answer to why her party keeps losing ground it used to hold.
Rural voters are not afraid of the economy.
They are afraid of AI.
Altum Insight went to rural Nebraska expecting to hear about affordability. What came back was a deep, values-rooted fear of artificial intelligence, not about jobs or data centers but about trust, truth, and a way of life under threat, with a generational breakdown that defied every assumption including her own. The methodology itself runs on AI: conversational interviews at scale that respondents find human enough to say things they would not tell a live interviewer. Adrianne can walk a host through both the finding and the method.
Twenty years of campaigns,
and the research behind them
Adrianne Marsh is the CEO of Altum Insight and a veteran Democratic operative with more than two decades of winning campaign experience in political strategy and research.
She managed Senator Claire McCaskill’s successful 2012 re-election campaign, helped Democrats reclaim the U.S. Senate majority in 2006, and played a pivotal role in Senator Michael Bennet’s 2010 victory and President Barack Obama’s 2008 election. She has also worked as a consultant across public relations, direct mail, television and digital advertising, and political research.
At Altum Insight she uses that field, communications, and strategy experience to help candidates and organizations turn research into narratives and operations that actually work. Her approach combines traditional political judgment with newer methods, including responsible AI integration and deep qualitative research.
Career highlights
- Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
- Campaign manager, Claire McCaskill re-election, 2012
- Key strategist in the 2006 Senate majority victory
- Senior advisor to Senator Michael Bennet, 2010
- Long-time consultant across PR, mail, television and digital
- Founder and CEO of Altum Insight
- Co-host of the Altum Insight podcast with Frank A. Spring
- Board member, The Theatre Lab, Washington DC
Six topics, and she has
opinions on all of them
Campaign strategy
From immediate tactics to long-term planning, from finance to field operations, and what actually builds trust with voters at every level of campaigning.
Research to action
How to turn research into narrative, messaging, and on-the-ground execution that measurably improves persuasion and participation.
AI in campaigns
Using AI and modern analytics responsibly without losing authenticity, plus the practical guardrails that keep communications trust-first.
Reaching rural America
Battleground maps are narrowing every cycle. Why Democrats are losing ground in rural and red parts of the country, and what concretely reverses it.
The missing piece, deep qualitative research
A framework for moving past surface-level polling to understand what actually motivates voters, and turning that into field operations.
Where should strategy adapt right now?
Her read on the current state of American politics and what needs to change immediately rather than next cycle.
How do you restore trust with voters?
Practically and operationally, not as a slogan. What the actual work looks like.
How should the next several cycles be prepared for?
Long-range planning in an environment where the map keeps shrinking.
Can faith and values bridge the trust gap?
How campaigns can reach independents and moderate Republicans without pretending to be something they are not.
Adrianne on air
Campaign Trend with Eric Wilson, 2026
What rural voters really fear about AI. The Nebraska findings, the methodology, and what it means for Democratic strategy this cycle. A Republican-side campaign technology show, which says something about how the research travels.
United SHE Stands, episode 152
Bridging the disconnect. The evolution of voter behavior, digital ethnography, narrative research, and how Democrats connect, communicate and win.
The Oklahoma Memo
AI, trust and identity among rural voters, plus her campaign career and a singular commitment to the Detroit Lions.
Beer, Buds and the Big Sky
The empathy gap. Why modern political messaging fails rural voters, and what a hostage negotiation mindset teaches campaigns about listening.
Everything you need to book Adrianne
Contact
Monday and Thursday
1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Tuesday and Friday
8:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Equipment
Shure microphone with high-quality earbuds, broadcast-ready
Breaking news
Flexible scheduling available for breaking news commentary
Topic tags
Democratic campaign strategy, voter persuasion, political narrative, public opinion research, AI in campaigns, field operations, competing in rural states, rebuilding voter trust, ethical AI for campaigns.
Book Adrianne
Available Monday through Friday on a set schedule, with flexibility for breaking news. All podcast booking handled through Heartcast Media.