How Dark Horse Candidate works

Scope at launch: We don't accept draft campaigns for 2026 federal elections. All campaigns target 2028 or 2030 federal races.

Two ways to back a campaign

Draft campaigns rally pledges to convince a specific person to run for office. Your card is only charged if that person officially files to run.

Unseat campaigns rally pledges in opposition to a sitting officeholder. Your card is only charged once a verified challenger officially files against that incumbent — and your contribution goes to the challenger's authorized campaign committee, not to an anti-incumbent committee.

The pledge model

When you pledge, we collect your payment method and store it securely with Stripe. Your card is not charged at the time of pledging. You can cancel or modify your pledge at any time before a charge.

When the candidate files

If the person you're drafting officially files to run before the campaign deadline, here's what happens:

Filing announcement — You receive an email the moment we verify the filing. If the candidate's campaign committee still needs to set up payment processing, we coordinate that before any charges occur. During this time, pledging stays open and you can increase your pledge (up to $3,300 per election).
48-hour charge notice — Once everything is ready, you receive an email with your exact charge date and a 48-hour window to cancel or increase your pledge.
Charge — After the 48-hour cooling-off period, your card is charged and 100% of your contribution goes directly to the candidate's campaign committee.

If they don't file

If the deadline passes without a filing, your pledge is released — no charge, no fine print.

Primary and general elections

Campaigns can target a primary or general election — each is a separate campaign with its own deadline. You can back either or both, up to $3,300 per election.

When pledging to a primary campaign, you can opt in to have your pledge automatically transfer to the linked general election campaign. This transfer happens if the primary deadline passes without a filing, or if the candidate files directly for the general election first — in which case the primary campaign ends and opted-in pledges move to the general. If you don't opt in, your pledge is simply released.

FEC compliance

Dark Horse Candidate operates as a conduit under the pledge-to-draft model approved by the Federal Election Commission in Advisory Opinion 2014-07. Contributions are passed directly to the candidate's campaign upon filing — Dark Horse Candidate does not pool or control funds. Every backer provides the contact and employment information federal law requires for political contributions.

Pledges are capped at $3,300 per election (primary or general), in line with federal individual-to-candidate contribution limits for the 2025-2026 cycle. The minimum pledge is $25.

Nonpartisan by design

Dark Horse Candidate does not take editorial positions, rank candidates by ideology, or filter campaigns by party. Anyone can start a draft for anyone, provided the campaign follows our rules.

FAQ

What happens during the 48-hour cooling-off period?: After the candidate's campaign committee is onboarded, you receive an email with your exact charge date. You have 48 hours to increase your pledge or cancel it entirely. If you do nothing, your card is charged automatically after the window closes.
What if the draftee asks me to stop?: They can contact us and opt out. We'll close the campaign and release all pledges.
What about unseat campaigns — can the incumbent shut one down?: No. Incumbents have no more control over unseat campaigns than draftees have over draft campaigns. An unseat campaign describes a political position (that someone should run against this incumbent) — the funds go to whichever qualifying challenger actually files. We apply the same review standards regardless of who the incumbent is.
Can I cancel my own pledge before the deadline?: Yes, from your dashboard, at any time before a charge — including during the 48-hour cooling-off period.
How is “officially filed” verified?: We require a public link to the FEC filing (for federal races) or the equivalent state or local authority.
What are the fees?: 100% of your contribution goes to the candidate. A 3.95% processing fee is added on top of your contribution to cover payment processing and platform operations. You may also leave an optional tip — both the fee and tip are platform charges, not political contributions.
Who can be drafted for what office?: Before approving a campaign, we check that the named draftee meets the constitutional eligibility requirements for the office. For federal offices:
U.S. President: at least 35 years old, U.S. citizen by birth, U.S. resident for 14+ years
U.S. Senate: at least 30 years old, U.S. citizen for 9+ years, resident of the state at time of election
U.S. House: at least 25 years old, U.S. citizen for 7+ years, resident of the state at time of election
We don't independently verify these facts — campaign creators attest to eligibility, and our reviewers consult public information before approving. Campaigns that clearly fail eligibility (e.g., drafting someone for U.S. Senator from a state they don't live in) are rejected. The $250 creation fee is non-refundable since it covers the review itself.
What does “redirect to general” mean?: When pledging to a primary election campaign, you can opt in to have your pledge automatically transfer to the linked general election campaign. This happens either when the primary deadline passes without a filing, or when the candidate files directly for the general election first. Your contribution limit of $3,300 per election still applies.