# US Political Consultants Use Generative Engine Optimization to Shape AI Chatbot Responses Before Midterm Elections WASHINGTON — Political consultants in the United States are developing strategies to influence how AI chatbots describe political candidates and their policies, according to documents Reuters obtained. The emerging approach seeks to shape the information voters receive from services such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The strategy, known as generative engine optimization (GEO), represents a shift from conventional search engine optimization, which focuses on improving a website's position in search results. Instead, GEO seeks to influence the information AI systems retrieve, summarize and present when users ask questions. A Reuters investigation published on October 26, 2026, detailed a proposal prepared for Mike Minogue, the Republican challenger to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. The strategy aimed to improve his standing in chatbot responses to questions about taxes, housing, public safety and other election issues. The documents describe a proposed campaign rather than establishing that the recommendations were implemented or successfully influenced AI responses. Reuters said Minogue's campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Visigent, an Austin-based company behind the proposal, offers these services as part of its political consulting business. Visigent chief executive Thomas Howell told Reuters that the company has six political campaigns among its clients, although he declined to identify them. Political consulting packages begin at approximately $5,000 a month and can reach $50,000 when paid media placements, influencer outreach and related services are included. The proposal also outlined a potential success fee of $200,000 for achieving a designated category result. The approach also extends beyond Republican campaigns. Reuters examined CampSight, a service operated by the progressive organization Run for Something Action Fund. CampSight offers monitoring and guidance on chatbot responses, with standard services priced between $9 and $250 monthly and customized arrangements for larger campaigns. Its operators reported observing information from Reddit appearing in subsequent chatbot responses, although they also said AI systems had generally proved more capable of distinguishing reputable information than initially feared. The potential influence of these services depends partly on how extensively voters use chatbots. Cameron Hickey, chief executive of the National Conference on Citizenship, told Reuters that approximately 25 percent of eligible voters had asked a chatbot about political candidates while deciding how to vote.