Political media still treats programmatic like a dirty word. For years, it was shorthand for leftover inventory — remnant banners, cluttered sites, bad brand safety. But in 2025, almost every corner of the digital world runs through automated, biddable marketplaces.
If campaigns keep pretending programmatic is junk, they’ll be leaving scale, efficiency, and agility on the table.
To kick off Outbid: In Conversation, I sit down with Luke Hartman, Senior Political Account Executive at StackAdapt. Luke works directly with the buying teams at top Democratic firms, giving him a panoramic view into how campaigns are actually using (or misusing) these tools.
We cover a lot of ground in this first episode:
The origins of the “programmatic is bad inventory” myth — and why it still haunts Democratic media buying.
How PMP and PG deals really work in 2025, and why waterfalling inventory matters.
What true agility looks like in a campaign’s final weeks (hint: it isn’t on linear).
The underrated channels — audio, digital out-of-home — that smart campaigns will lean on in 2026.
Why humility, curiosity, and risk-taking often beat another poll or memo.
Luke also shares his own path — from Google, to SoulCycle, to building one of the most enviable books of business in Democratic programmatic. His journey says a lot about the kind of people who end up shaping this space.
This is Episode One. It sets the table for where we’re going: not just another insider gabfest, but real conversations about how campaigns win (or lose) in the media trenches.
This Episode’s Guest: Luke Hartman, Senior Political Account Executive, StackAdapt — stackadapt.com
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Outbid: In Conversation is a production of Outbid Media.
