The Outsider Media Foundation, a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing public understanding of and participation in underrepresented political activity, including coverage produced by other media outlets and organizations, has published the latest response to its National Party Chair Questionnaire. This initiative is part of the Foundation’s mission to inform and educate the public about alternative political movements throughout the United States.
The following response was submitted by Jolly Mitch Davilo, Captain of the United States Pirate Party. Questions appear in bold, followed by the responses as submitted, with only minor formatting adjustments for readability. For more information about the Foundation or the questionnaire, including how to participate, please visit our official website.
Reflections on the 2024 Election Cycle:
What key lessons did your party learn from the 2024 election cycle, and how are those insights shaping your strategy for the next cycle?
People respect and respond to on the ground work. I think a lot of folks in this country feel ignored, unseen and overall overlooked in the grand scheme by their elected officials, that once they see an on the ground movement and party going door to door and showing up, asking/answering questions and showing that we’re running their neighbors and not just party insiders, they warm up to the idea of the Pirate Party.
I think 2026 will feature plenty of door knocking and explaining “Yes, we mean that kind of Pirate” when people inquire about us. We’re okay with that! We just hope to see it translate into electoral disruption, if not outright success.
Vision for the Future:
What are your party’s primary goals and priorities for the next two years, and what concrete steps will you take to achieve them?
It would seem the US Pirate and Transhumanist Parties are heading into a coalition with one another, which is exciting because our parties share a lot of platform overlap and values. I think the goal is to see our two parties run as successfully as we can, allowing our parties to grow and ideas to spread.
We both (and I don’t wish to speak on their behalf when I say this) would like to see our parties expand, run candidates and provide a true alternative to the duopoly. We hope to achieve that, and it will be more wholly completed with the Transhumanists beside us in those endeavors.
Competitive Strategy:
How does your party plan to strengthen its electoral competitiveness, and what specific tactics will you prioritize to improve performance in future races?
Boots on the ground. We cannot be afraid to run for offices, no matter how small or seemingly trivial, because we cannot get things done just by talking about it. People who are deeply involved in the party are encouraged to find something to run for and spread our ideals where we can. The world needs a Pirate Sheriff and Pirate Library Trustee as bad as it does a Pirate State Congressman.
Membership Growth:
What initiatives is your party pursuing to attract and retain new members, and how are you working to ensure greater representation across different demographics?
We actually are about to begin a new initiative where interested volunteers can attend meetings during the 1st Friday of the month, twice with one at NoonET and one at 5pmET. The hope is to provide a lane that interested folks from all walks of life can enter into and decide if this is the party for them (which we sure hope it is). In the age of the internet, it’s easy to pop into different communities and internet spaces of ideologies similar or aligned with the pirate party movement, and I have extended my hand there as well.
But otherwise I echo the words found on the banner of our Bluesky and the words found in our platform: “The United States Pirate Party is for everybody.” “We proudly condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. We believe this behavior to be fundamentally incompatible with our core values. Pirates stand for everyone, even when others do not.”
If that interests folks and it sounds like a ship they’d like to board, well all aboard who’s coming aboard! We’d love to have you.
Member Engagement:
How do you keep members actively engaged and aligned with your party’s mission, particularly during non-election periods?
We believe in a free and open society, which I believe can be traced back to the adoption of hacker ethics back in 2012. I think this transcends “hacktivists” and becomes a very welcoming environment. I’ve been around the block in political circles and, yes, we are not free from drama and noise, I feel as though our party has a community dedicated to the idea of free and open. I don’t believe there’s anything you can do to be aligned more with the party mission than to live as openly and honestly as possible and let people do the same beside you. We are crew on this ship together, and that expression is as expansive as you’d like it to be, but never exclusionary.
Fundraising Strategy:
What key approaches will your party take to secure funding for operations, outreach, and initiatives, and how do you plan to sustain long-term financial stability?
Fundraising is tricky. None of us like asking for money but it’s an inevitable thing if we want the party to grow. We are not big on spending money so it translates into not being big on raising money, but big money will inevitably use that against us.
In short, right now it’s boots on the ground volunteer work and output as it has been since we started. If the treasure chest needs replenishing and we ask the public for the money, know it’s either (God forbid) dire or we think we just need the push to get us where we need to be.
Collaboration and Alliances:
What is your strategy for building alliances with other political organizations or advocacy groups, and what shared objectives do you hope to achieve through these partnerships?
As I previously answered, our coalition with the US Transhumanist Party (All Hands for a Free Future) is just about finished up and official. We might be the founding member parties of All Hands, but we do believe that other parties shall join us down the line. We hope to explore our shared values and goals and determine what is the best way to help one another once it comes time.
AllHandsFuture is an experiment in the US political landscape that I am frankly excited about and would be excited to see grow with more parties or even organizations in the near future. There’s never been a better time to be a Handie than right now. (Gennady Stolyarov II will not be pleased I keep calling ourselves “the Handies” but if the Wobblies get a cool nickname then I want in on that action).
Public Messaging:
How does your party plan to communicate its message effectively to voters and supporters, and how will you adapt to challenges posed by the evolving media landscape?
Honestly? Honestly. I think people appreciate speaking to a real person. If you have seen the recent Ritchie Torres or Elissa Slotkin interviews, they don’t even come across as real, genuine people. It actually frightens me to see such coldness from our elected officials. I want to show the world that “Hey, we might be holy fools but we’re the only honest ones in the ring. We’re your neighbors. We’re your local pirates.”
Preparing for Challenges:
What obstacles do you anticipate in the coming years, and how is your party proactively preparing to address them?
If we have overcome the biggest obstacle of being taken seriously as a party named “United States Pirate Party”, then I believe we are prepared for anything.
Closing Remarks:
What do you see as your party’s greatest opportunity for growth or influence in the near future, and what message would you like to share with members and supporters moving forward?
I think we have resonated with folks and will continue to resonate because we’re honest. It’s a little rugged, a little goofy, a little provocative, but it’s honest. It’s human. It’s back to public service, not venture politics.
Vote Pirate. Victory is Arrrs.
Outsider Media Foundation Press Release
Press releases published by Outsider Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) journalistic nonprofit that helps support Independent Political Report.