Uber, Lyft Influencers Find Democratic Allies Toughest to Sway

With their business model threatened in the courts and several states, Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. have assembled all-star casts of connected Democrats to convince Congress and regulators to not classify their workers as employees.

Influence campaigns in Washington don’t normally target the party that spends most of an administration in the political wilderness. But the onslaught of people and money reflects that Uber and Lyft’s obstacles aren’t from President Donald Trump’s Republican administration, but from Democrats, particularly if there is a power shift ahead in the White House.

The companies’ goals go against Democrats’ traditional labor allies, even ...