Influencers are VITAL to campaigns. Ed Markey for Senate
8/28/2026
Influencers are VITAL to modern political campaigns.
Earlier today, NBC10 Boston covered how the Markey-Moulton Senate race is playing out on influencer feeds, including a video I made in collaboration with the Markey team.
Now, let’s talk about this coverage, why it matters, and why so many campaigns are behind the curve.
Social media and video platforms are now the single most-used news source globally, ahead of TV, print, and every "owned and operated" news site… for the first time ever. In the U.S., roughly 1 in 5 adults regularly gets news from influencers, and that number jumps to nearly 40% for adults under 30. This is where the electorate (especially the electorate campaigns most need to activate) actually lives.
People follow creators like me because they've decided, over time, whether they trust our judgment. That creates a highly unique communication tool for campaigns. Normal ad buys are talking at a voter; influencer campaigns are talking with a voter.
I have personally met and spoken with Senator Markey. I would never make content for a candidate I wouldn't vote for myself. My audience knows that about me, and it's the entire reason the content is effective. The 220k+ views on my video about the Markey race weren't just authentic... they were targeted: an audience that already follows me for my political takes is watching me apply those same takes to a real race.
There's a persistent and damaging idea that you can "pay an influencer for their political opinion," as if the view is the product being purchased. It isn't. The view has to already exist, or the content falls flat and voters can tell. But that misunderstanding is exactly what pushes so many campaigns toward asking creators to do the work for free so they aren't seen as "paying an influencer." That's a vicious cycle, and it's a big part of why Democratic campaigns keep losing ground on digital strategy to opponents who treat creators as professionals worth paying.
Influencers are the future of political communication. We also deserve to be paid for our work, the same as any other communications professional a campaign hires.
Any campaign still turning their nose up at influencer partnerships is behind the curve. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: just because you find the battlefield undignified doesn't mean you get to opt out of the war.
