Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly.As Democrats and Republicans look for new ways to reach voters, many are struggling with how to turn valuable online views into even more valuable votes.That's what Democrat Tom Steyer tried to do in his bid for governor in California.He spent tens of thousands of dollars on paid partnerships with political influencers, some of whom have millions of followers across social media.
However, the progressive billionaire failed to advance to the general election.Spencer Pratt, a Republican, also grew his already large online presence while running for mayor of Los Angeles.Despite repeatedly going viral in creator-made videos and appearing on Joe Rogan's podcast, which averages nearly 12 million listeners a month, he too came up short at the ballot box.It's becoming a more common goal for campaigns to seek out viral moments and the support of popular internet stars as part of an effort to reach more voters online.
It's a strategy Democrats and Republicans alike watched Donald Trump ride to victory in 2024.But the strategy, albeit flashy, has yielded mixed results in key races this cycle as candidates try to figure out how much political power an influencer can have.Political strategists partially credit Trump's focus on reaching voters through nontraditional media as a reason he made inroads with young Americans, sitting down for interviews with a slew of prominent streamers and podcasters, including Rogan.However, with Trump not on the ballot this fall, campaigns are looking for ways to continue harnessing that same energy in the midterms, even as some strategists, like Republican Eric Wilson, point out limits."Social media, content creators, digital media — that whole umbrella — is a blunt force object," Wilson said, arguing that while that structure may benefit national campaigns and organizations, it can be harder for targeted audiences in state and local races."Even if someone has millions of followers ...