Two top Democratic outside groups are joining forces to help former Vice President Joe Biden in his expected general election matchup against President Trump in November.
Unite the Country, the super PAC supporting Biden’s presidential bid, and the liberal group American Bridge said they would form a partnership to raise and spend a nine-figure amount supporting the former vice president’s effort to oust Trump.
“To beat Donald Trump, it is going to take everyone working together to spend every dollar smartly and strategically,” Steve Schale, the CEO of Unite the Country, said in a statement. “We are proud to partner with American Bridge and other groups to promote the candidacy of Joe Biden, who we know will unite our country and restore decency and moral clarity.”
The partnership will be co-chaired by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who briefly and unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The partnership means that the two groups will coordinate polling and research efforts, as well as message testing and ad buys. It will focus heavily on outreach to so-called Democratic base groups, including suburban women and organized labor.
The partnership is illustrative of how Democratic groups are rallying behind Biden as they look to pivot toward a general election campaign against Trump. It also suggests that outside groups are trying to coordinate resources to avoid conflicting messages and competing political efforts.
“The smartest campaign efforts pool resources and align on strategy,” Granholm said. “This partnership follows that winning model and creates a much-needed hub for donors and like-minded organizations to collaborate.”
Biden hasn’t yet won the 1,991 delegates he needs to clinch the Democratic nomination, but he has secured an all but insurmountable lead over his only remaining primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The presidential race has largely ground to a halt in recent weeks as the coronavirus outbreak has prompted the candidates to cancel in-person campaign events and other forms of traditional politicking.
More than a dozen states have delayed scheduled primaries and caucuses, meaning that Biden cannot officially clinch the nomination until June at the earliest.