The use of ridesharing and private house rentals exploded during the 2016 presidential campaign, with upstarts like Uber, Lyft and Airbnb cashing in and signaling they will challenge taxis and hotels for dominance in future campaigns.
In a new study of Federal Election Commission spending records, the so-called “sharing economy” arrived for the first time both nationally and in House and Senate elections.
The report from Hamilton Place Strategies said that the Trump and Clinton campaign spent $65,000 on shared rides and housing.
Overall, $322,000 was spent on ride sharing in presidential and congressional campaigns. Another $246,000 was spent on Airbnb.
HPS said the impact of the emerging economies and acceptance by campaigns could change how campaigns are done in the future. “The possibilities extend beyond competing with taxis and hotels. For instance, campaign staff traveling the country may be able to rent a homeshare to live among voters in a target precinct” in the future, it said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
