Derek Willis
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dwillis.bsky.social
Derek Willis
@dwillis.bsky.social
6.5K followers 650 following 3.6K posts
I teach data journalism at the University of Maryland, run OpenElections. Fan of WBB & test cricket. Posting obscure things about campaign finance, Congress & elections.

https://github.com/dwillis
https://thescoop.org
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dwillis.bsky.social
Great moments in fundraising "surveys".

#disqualifiessurvey
A single question "survey" from a JD Vance fundraising email that reads: Will you still be supporting President Trump and the MAGA Movement in 2026? The choices are: Yes No (Disqualifies Survey)
January 23, 2026 at 6:39 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
In Thursday's OT loss to Iowa, Maryland WBB missed 13 layups, according to the play-by-play data I've compiled. Iowa missed 4 that weren't blocked by Terps.

thescoop.org/umdwbb-data/

#ncaawbb
January 23, 2026 at 4:05 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
First appearance of the phrase "Trump diet soda" among my fundraising email collection.
A fundraising email from the Trump campaign with a subject line of "I'm drinking a Trump diet soda" that reads: I was thousands of miles in the air. Drinking a Trump diet soda. And all I could think about was… YOU! No, I don't know what that has to do with anything, either.
January 21, 2026 at 8:16 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Adventures in fundraising email "survey" questions:
January 16, 2026 at 7:25 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
👋 from journalism, which also has this problem.

mailchi.mp/goodauthorit...
Let me quote Henry again: “The more that LLMs are employed in the ways that they are currently being employed, the more concentrated science will be on studying already-popular questions in already-popular ways, and the less well suited it will be to discovering the novel and unexpected.” This then made me think of a point of Gunitsky’s: “…In that world, the question for reviewers and editors is less ‘is this right?’ and more ‘why does this matter?’” This, in turn, connects back to Munger. Science has always had to figure out “what matters.” But Munger notes that a new age of AI agents makes the task even more important: “We must refine our taste, our ability to filter through the information with which we will soon be flooded.” That is a tall order.
January 16, 2026 at 7:07 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
This is mentions from the Congressional Record
January 15, 2026 at 11:53 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
I think Mary Peltola is running for the Senate, if my fundraising emails are to be believed.
January 14, 2026 at 2:54 AM
dwillis.bsky.social
Been awhile since we've had a good Computer Jesus job posting. The qualified applicant pool for this position (assuming they want both areas) is ~10 people. If they want just one, it's slightly larger.

It is a nice wish list, tho.
The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications seeks an outstanding faculty member for an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position in the journalism department starting in August 2026. The successful candidate will have the ability to contribute to the broad intellectual life of the college and department. We seek candidates with scholarly expertise in data journalism and/or artificial intelligence within journalism contexts. Areas of research and teaching interests may include (but are not limited to): computational methods for investigative reporting; data analysis, statistical literacy and visualization for storytelling; working with large datasets, APIs and public records; AI tools in news production and distribution; algorithmic accountability and transparency reporting; automated journalism and content generation; AI ethics in newsrooms; misinformation detection, deepfakes and verification technologies; or related areas that advance the ethical and effective use of data and AI in journalism. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to training the next generation of journalists to work responsibly and innovatively with data and emerging technologies. Candidates should have a Ph.D. or terminal degree in a relevant field (by start date) and demonstrate appropriate experience with teaching undergraduate and graduate students.
January 13, 2026 at 10:40 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Just got this text message from HollywoodDemocrats.com, which since 2023 has raised more than $200k and spent $0 on candidates or IEs. What it does spend money on: consultants.

Folks, this ain't it.

www.fec.gov/data/disburs...
January 11, 2026 at 2:13 AM
dwillis.bsky.social
Hang on, there might be a broader spelling issue:
January 10, 2026 at 10:23 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Please, Null.
A fundraising email from Democratic Senate candidate Haley Stevens of Michigan addressed to "Null" that reads: Null, in a moment, I'm going to ask you to become a 2026 Founding Donor of my grassroots campaign to keep Michigan blue. But first, let me explain why your support today is so important. Growing up, I was just a kid who loved her home state and wanted to help people.
January 10, 2026 at 8:38 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Correct spellings of "Dave", wrong answers only:
A fundraising email from the Trump campaign with the subject line of "Before I sign your check…" and reading: Before I sign your name on your Tariff Check, is Dave spelled right? From Trump: CONFIRM CHECK > CONFIRM CHECK HERE > - Sent from President Trump's iPhone
January 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Oregon fans right now:
January 10, 2026 at 1:50 AM
dwillis.bsky.social
January 9, 2026 at 2:43 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Very pleased to see the University of Maryland athletics department using the same sort of tactics employed by political fundraising consultants.
An email from Maryland Athletics signed by former men's basketball star Joe Smith that includes a "Live Poll" asking "Are you a loyal Terps Fan? Response needed from: Derek Willis" with a green Yes button and a red No button.
January 5, 2026 at 10:47 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
"Join the fun in our holiday poll"
A "poll" from the Lexington Herald-Leader website that reads: "Join the fun in our holiday poll We want to hear from readers like you. What are you most worried about in 2026? The Economy and Job Market - Financial stability and employment trends Impact of A.I. - How artificial intelligence changes the world Political Divisiveness - Tensions within politics and communities Healthcare Costs - Managing medical expenses and insurance Something Else - Other personal or global concerns" What fun!
January 5, 2026 at 4:34 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 5:16 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Indeed, the Trump campaign is testing many things.
A screenshot of multiple fundraising emails from the Trump campaign, most of them with the subject line of "TEST FROM TRUMP" and asking recipients to "please confirm receipt of this email", which the campaign definitely knows.
January 2, 2026 at 5:32 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
"Do Not Share" is the subject line of this fundraising email from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise:
DO NOT SHARE Hello – Majority Leader Steve Scalise just sent you an important message regarding the current state of our House Majority. We should warn you… This is not good news and should not be shared with anyone else. Please read the Majority Leader’s message as soon as humanly possible. It’s important. DO NOT SHARE
January 2, 2026 at 2:23 AM
dwillis.bsky.social
The year in crime:
December 31, 2025 at 11:25 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna endorsing in the Texas Land Commissioner election:
I’m proud to endorse Jose Loya for Texas Land Commissioner. Jose is a Marine Corps veteran who deployed to Iraq twice. He grew up in a small Texas town, attended public schools, played Friday night football, and worked on the same land and in the oilfields that helped build this state. For the last eight years, he’s served as a union staff representative, fighting every day for safer jobs, fair wages, and dignity at work for middle-class Texans – from refinery and manufacturing workers to law enforcement officers. That lived experience matters, especially in a race like this. The Texas Land Commissioner oversees public lands that fund public schools, support veterans, protect natural resources, and help communities recover from disasters. Yet Democrats haven’t held this office in nearly three decades. For 28 years, decisions about public land and public money have been made without working people truly represented at the table. That’s why this race is so important, and why I’m asking you to step up today. Will you split a contribution between Jose Loya and my campaign?
December 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
"How were your holidays?"

"Great! Spent some time indexing very old cricket matches from English villages I've never heard of."
A screenshot of two 1895 English cricket scorecards published in the Berkshire Chronicle.
December 29, 2025 at 2:44 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
The plea of every sports editor, taken from an 1895 edition of the Reading Observer (U.K.):
Important to Secretaries. - As in former years, we readily grant a portion of our space for cricket match reports, but we must impress upon secretaries that importance of sending in the scores as soon as possible after matches are played. We further desire to intimate that no score can be inserted unless it is written legibly.
December 28, 2025 at 11:34 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Virginia State Sen. Bryce Reeves sends an email to his list this morning announcing his withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race.

11 minutes later, his campaign sends an email asking for endorsements for the U.S. Senate race.
After deep reflection, prayer, and many conversations with my family, I have made the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the United States Senate race. A serious family health matter, combined with the realities of timing, requires my full attention at home. My faith and my family come before all else, and I will always honor that calling. I have always lived by a simple code: honor God, love my family, and protect this great country. That code guides this decision today. My commitment to the people of Virginia has never wavered. I remain fully dedicated to serving the citizens of the 28th Senatorial District, and I look forward to seeking re-election to my Senate seat in 2027. The people of my district elected me to be their advocate, their voice, and their problem-solver, and that mission continues with renewed focus. Friend, Everyone in politics loves to brag about endorsements. Senators. Congressmen. Influencers. Party leaders. And yes – Bryce Reeves could go out and get every big Republican endorsement in the country if he wanted to. But Bryce asked us to send this email because the endorsement he wants first is YOURS. Not Washington’s. Not Richmond’s. YOURS. Because this campaign isn’t going to be won by insiders – it’s going to be won by the people who believe in Bryce’s mission, Bryce’s integrity, and Bryce’s fight for Virginia. That’s why we’re launching the Official Endorse Bryce Petition, and Bryce wants YOUR name on it before anyone else’s. Patriot, will you be some of the first grassroots supporters to endorse Bryce Reeves for U.S. Senate? >>>
December 28, 2025 at 4:39 PM
dwillis.bsky.social
Totally normal fundraising email from Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers:
A fundraising email with the subject line of "Friend, you've been flagged by command." It reads: Friend, A silent breach just triggered inside Rogers HQ. We’re seeing suppression signals. Shadows in the data. Multiple contact points across the network have gone dark. We don’t have time to verify what’s interference and what’s infiltration. So we’re pushing this directly to you. You were flagged last quarter as one of the most reliable supporters in the field. If we can trust that, then right now, we need you to step up. This is not a typical update. It’s an unfiltered transmission containing sensitive ops data about the Senate map, and the explosive developments unfolding in Michigan. But the channel won’t stay open for long.
December 28, 2025 at 1:53 AM