Politics Run on Social Media

Written by John McAllister 

Media Analytics Executive

Photo Courtesy of NY Times article: Can the cool kids get this mayoral candidate elected?

This past year, Zohran Mamdani ran for mayor of New York City with little to no experience as an assemblyman representing the Bronx. His opponents were Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Robert Silwa. One candidate was the governor of New York with rich family ties, another was a former mayor, and another had a strong core audience. Despite all the odds against him, he emerged victorious. People from all across the country were shocked, questioning how he won. The answer is social media. Mamdani used social media to reach voters in a way that was both fun and informative. He used platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to reach young audiences and grow his personal brand among people in New York City. He made personable videos that outlined his policies while also showing potential voters who he is outside of politics. As a result, he garnered a loyal city-wide and even nationwide following. Mamdani’s shocking rise to prominence proves the ever-evolving influence of social media on our political system.   

We have seen other prominent politicians, such as President Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bernie Sanders, employ social media heavily to win elections and raise awareness of key legislation. We have seen younger politicians posting TikToks, dancing with constituents, and trying to get more people involved. Politicians have become more than just public servants; they are now, more than ever, brands that must advertise themselves to the public. Just as brands require more than simply doing their job, there needs to be a personal component to the representative. Most commonly, we see politicians use social media to make political statements and attack their opponents. President Trump uses them as platforms, such as Twitter, Truth Social, and Instagram, to address the country and sometimes even makes crude jokes about his political foes. 

In addition to members in office, we have seen an increase in political influencers emerging on social media. With controversial figures such as Nick Fuentes and Candace Owens consuming social media feeds, there is a lot to like and dislike about their roles in shaping public opinion. These figures have been around for years, but their reach peaked in the 2024 election cycle. Influencers from the Democratic Party also played a huge role in the 2024 presidential election. On the Democratic side, Kamala Harris also utilized social media on the campaign trail. She did a sit-down interview with Alex Cooper on her podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” and sat in on morning radio show “The Breakfast Club,” hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, Envy, and Jess Hillarious.

Social media is becoming an increasing priority for success in the political sphere. Across the country and even the world we will continue to see social media as a necessity in political strategy for politicians to win elections, pass legislation, and connect with their constituents. More importantly as social media continues to take over politics we as voters need to keep in mind the magnitude of these issues which impacts millions of people everyday.