Blue Wave America is a Democratic SuperPAC that focuses on engaging rural voters in swing states. ¹ It is operated by Mike Ward, a Kentucky-based political consultant who served one term in the U.S. Congress from 1995 through 1997. ^{2 3 4}

Blue Wave America is not affiliated with the Blue Wave Postcard Movement to turn out low-propensity Democratic voters in swing states, the Blue Wave Project leadership PAC of Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), or the Democratic-aligned political campaign compliance and fundraising firm Blue Wave Political Partners. ^{5 6 7}

Background

Blue Wave America is a SuperPAC that supports Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate, and governor in swing states with significant rural populations. ⁸ In 2022, it supported candidates in Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, and in 2024 it is supporting candidates in Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. ⁹

It was founded in 2021 by former U.S. Representative Mike Ward (D-KY), who won a three-way race for Congress in 1994 by 473 ballots out of 152,405 cast and then lost his 1996 reelection campaign by 1,299 votes to Republican challenger Anne Meagher Northup. ^{10 11 12} Ward is also a former member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives, a radio talk show host in the Louisville market, and was associate director of the U.S. Peace Corps in the Clinton administration. ^{13 14} As of 2024, he is a political campaign consultant based in Louisville, Kentucky. ¹⁵

Operations

Blue Wave America operates from a post office box in Frankfort, Kentucky, but its registered address with the Federal Election Commission is a single-family home in Louisville that shares an address with Legalize Kentucky Now, a pro-medical marijuana legalization nonprofit that Ward founded in 2016 and that was dissolved by the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office in 2017 for failing to file an annual report. ^{16 17 18}

In 2023, Blue Wave America reported making $50,000 in payments to Ward’s political consulting firm Ward Campaigns for “general campaign and political consulting.” ¹⁹ That same year, the SuperPAC reported spending $56,750 on regulated independent expenditures for or against candidates, with $8,200 of that amount characterized in FEC filings as “soliciting contributions.” ²⁰

Blue Wave America solicits donations through ActBlue, where its donation page says, “All donations will help fund on-the-ground Democratic field organizers in states like Georgia and Ohio.” ²¹

1. “Empowering Rural Democrats.” Blue Wave America. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://bluewaveamerica.com/.
2. Schmitt, Eric. “Stiff Challenge to a Democratic Freshman.” The New York Times, October 30, 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/30/us/stiff-challenge-to-a-democratic-freshman.html.
3. “1996 Primary and General Election Results.” Kentucky State Board of Elections, November 1996. https://elect.ky.gov/results/1990-1999/Pages/1996.aspx.
4. “Mike Ward.” Library of Congress. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/member/mike-ward/W000139.
5. “FAQ.” Blue Wave Postcard Movement. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://shop.bluewavepostcards.org/pages/faq.
6. “PAC Profile: Blue Wave Project.” OpenSecrets. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/blue-wave-project/C00460972/summary/2020.
7. Blue Wave. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.bluewavepolitics.com/.
8.   “Empowering Rural Democrats.” Blue Wave America. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://bluewaveamerica.com/.
9. “Empowering Rural Democrats.” Blue Wave America. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://bluewaveamerica.com/.
10. Schmitt, Eric. “Stiff Challenge to a Democratic Freshman.” The New York Times, October 30, 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/30/us/stiff-challenge-to-a-democratic-freshman.html.
11. “1996 Primary and General Election Results.” Kentucky State Board of Elections, November 1996. https://elect.ky.gov/results/1990-1999/Pages/1996.aspx.
12. “Mike Ward.” Library of Congress. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/member/mike-ward/W000139.
13. “Mike Ward.” Politician Compare. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.politiciancompare.com/politicians/mikeward/.
14. Osborne, Arlison. “Austin Honors the Peace Corps with Oratorio On Birthday Week-End of President Kennedy; Number of Peace Corps Volunteers to Reach 25-Year High.” U.S. Peace Corps, May 20, 1999. https://www.peacecorps.gov/news/library/austin-honors-the-peace-corps-with-oratorio-on-birthday-week-end-of-president-kennedy-number-of-peace-corps-volunteers-to-reach-25-year-high/.
15. “About Mike Ward.” Ward campaigns, 2017. https://wardcampaigns.com/?page_id=10.
16. “BLUEWAVEAMERICA – Committee Overview.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00787945/.
17. Gerth, Joseph. “Medical Marijuana Gets Push from Mike Ward.” Louisville Courier-Journal, January 5, 2016. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/ky-legislature/2016/01/04/former-congressman-pushes-medical-marijuana/78254946/.
18. Grimes, Alison Lundergan. “Certificate of Dissolution.” Kentucky Secretary of State, October 9, 2017. https://web.sos.ky.gov/corpscans/39/0858339-09-99999-20171101-ADS-7013115-PU.pdf.
19. “BLUEWAVEAMERICA – Committee Overview.” Federal Election Commission. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00787945/.
20. “Independent Expenditures.” Federal Election Commission, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/independent-expenditures/?q_spender=C00787945&two_year_transaction_period=2024&cycle=2024&is_notice=false&data_type=processed.
21. “Give to Blue Wave America.” ActBlue. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blue-wave-america-frontpage.