Since 2020, the DSPolitical Ad Grants Program has awarded over $320,000 to help Democratic candidates win at the state and local level. Now in its sixth year, the program continues that tradition by granting a total of $50,000 in digital ad funding, along with training and support from our team of experts.
This year, we focused our efforts on two pivotal battlegrounds—New Jersey and Virginia—where voters will decide governorships, legislative control, and critical local offices that shape the fight for reproductive freedom, voting rights, climate action, and more.
We’re proud to introduce our 2025 DSPolitical Ad Grants Program Recipients!
Stacey Carroll is a mother, veteran, CPA, foster parent, and community advocate committed to fighting for families, schools, working people, and children across Stafford County. Stacey’s commitment to service began early — she served 19 years between the U.S. Army Reserve and West Virginia National Guard, where she organized and led crisis response efforts across the state of West Virginia, ensured the delivery of medical supplies, tests, and vaccines to hospitals and schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supported the transition of active duty military back to civilian life. An auditor by trade, Stacey has specialized experience auditing government agencies and ensuring responsible governance. As a mother of three, Stacey dedicates her free time to being active in local civic and nonprofit organizations, including the local chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Chums, Inc., and NAACP, holding leadership roles in each and working to advocate for local public school funding, provide financial counseling to the public, and secure investments for marginalized communities. Driven by commitment to service and community, Stacey is also a dedicated foster parent specializing in supporting teenagers. She has fostered 22 children to date, and was honored by the Fredericksburg Department of Social Services in 2024 as the Spotlight Resource Parent of the Year. A woman of faith and steadfast public servant, Stacey Carroll is dedicated to putting people first and ensuring a brighter future for Virginia’s 64th District. Learn more about Stacey’s campaign here.
John McAuliff is a career public servant and small business owner from Fauquier County. As a 10th-generation Virginian, John is running to protect our farmland, defend our rights, and strengthen the economy. After graduating from the University of Richmond, John returned home to care for his grandmother. Honoring her wish to keep the family home, he renovated it into Chilton House Suites, a bed-and-breakfast in Warrenton that has welcomed thousands of visitors and supported local businesses. During the pandemic, he helped lead recovery efforts for small businesses and volunteered on the frontlines of Virginia’s COVID-19 response. John also served as Chief of Staff in the House of Delegates, where he helped expand health care access, freeze college tuition, and strengthen early education. Between 2022 and 2023, he worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and in President Biden’s Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, where he helped deliver the largest climate investment in American history through the Inflation Reduction Act. Rooted in Virginia values and committed to building a stronger future, John McAuliff is ready to deliver for communities in the 30th District. Learn more about John’s campaign here.
Katie Brennan is a long-time Jersey City resident and dedicated public servant who gets things done. A trusted policy expert on housing, environmental justice, and protections for survivors of sexual assault, she has spent 15 years standing up to powerful interests and delivering results for working families. Katie began her career by taking on Governor Christie to save New Jersey’s affordable housing protections. She went on to help secure the largest investment in affordable homes in state history and launched a first-of-its-kind hospital–housing partnership, now a national model. Closer to home, Katie has fought for fair housing policies and tenant protections across Hudson County—strengthening Jersey City’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, defending Hoboken’s rent control law, and standing alongside neighbors at council and community meetings. She has held leadership roles at housing agencies in New Jersey and New York, advises housing nonprofits, and serves on the board of The Waterfront Project. Katie graduated from Xavier University and earned a Master’s in Urban Planning from Rutgers. Learn more about Katie’s campaign here.
Andrew Payton lives in Harrisonburg with his wife, Paulina, and their two children, ages four and six. He has worked in education for more than fifteen years, first as a college instructor and now as an instructional designer in online education. Beyond the classroom, Andrew has worked to improve his home district through his work with the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley and serving as the chair of Harrisonburg’s Environmental Performance Standards Advisory Committee. He also spearheaded an initiative to help residents weatherize their homes and reduce their utility bills. Now, he’s stepping up to serve his community and the people of the 34th, not corporate interests. Andrew is tired of the same career politicians making the same empty promises while regular working folks struggle to get by. He knows what it’s like to work long hours for low wages and no healthcare, from flipping pizzas to assembling furniture — that’s why he is running for office to make life more affordable and fair for working people. He’s committed to raising wages and lowering costs for the things that matter most — like housing, healthcare, groceries, and childcare — so that more Virginians can live with financial security and dignity. Learn more about Andrew’s campaign here.
Congratulations to our 2025 Ad Grants Recipients!
The 2025 Ad Grants Program reaffirms DSPolitical’s commitment to lifting up Democratic candidates at the state and municipal level. With $50,000 in in-kind digital ad services directed to New Jersey and Virginia candidates, we’re proud to equip campaigns with the tools they need to reach voters on the issues that matter most. Together with our partners, clients, and grant recipients, we’re ready to carry this work forward into the critical elections ahead.