It’s been a meme-heavy selection so far this year, with Kamala Harris’ “brat” summer and a fire hose about JD Vance’s undeniable weirdness. But another meeting of politics and the Internet has flown a little more under the radar, in the form of a Senate race that includes a professional influencer for the first time.
The seat opens after Mitt Romney announcement Last year that he would not seek re-election in 2024. Although Republican John CurtisCurrently a US representative for Utah’s third district, virtually certain to win in November (Hill predicted (Curtis has a more than 99 percent chance of winning, and Utah hasn’t had a Democratic senator since 1977), his Democratic opponent, Carolyn Gleich, has made headlines for her career outside of politics: namely, a professional ski mountaineer and content creator.
Glitch, 38, is known to his more than 220,000 Instagram followers for his climate activism and his mountaineering adventures, which have taken him through the ski slopes of Argentina to the summit of Mount Everest. His campaign for the Senate began after taking a training course A state level organization Dedicated to helping more Utah women run for office. From there, he met with someone at a campaign management firm who wanted to know if he would be willing to run for Romney’s seat earlier this year. “At first, when I got the email, I was a bit hesitant,” he told me in an interview. “But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the time is now, we can’t wait for other people to step up and be the leaders we want to see.”
“Sometimes even if they lose, they have to listen to their preferences even if the opposition has a candidate to prove. [is important]”, explains Juliet Carlyle, a political science scholar at the University of Utah. “A young Democratic candidate can make an impact. [Curtis] The younger generation is aware of the vibe in Utah politics.”
Influencers have long played a role in politics, although usually established politicians are asked to stump for them or push certain policies online to their followers. Trump, for example, lately The video was made with YouTuber Jack Paul, when Senators are tapping Influencers will rely on traditional media as well as help shape legislation.
The White House is listed Influencers to spread information about the Covid-19 vaccineBut President Biden fought to court content creators to support his now-cancelled re-election campaign: some who Support him in 2020 declined to do so for the 2024 cycle, while other manufacturers did Facing backlash Their fans have criticized them for stumping for the administration. This, unlike Kamala Harris, who has garnered a lot of organic support online from influencers and celebrities, speaks to a divide over which types of candidates are able to authentically tap into the chaotic power of the Internet.
It can often seem like politicians are pushing themselves to be influential, referencing memes and online language in a way that can feel embarrassingly forced.
It is not uncommon for politicians to build large followings after ascending to office. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for example, Instagram Live continues to be used and other social channels to speak directly to her constituents and followers, while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has used her massive online base to promote QAnon conspiracy theories and vaccine misinformation. It can often seem like politicians are pushing themselves to be influential, referencing memes and online language in a way that can feel embarrassingly forced (see Vance Try tweeting harder Or Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated attempt barbie Oscar snub discourse)
Yet recently professional content creators or those who make their money on social media through sponsorships from brands or contributions from followers have run for office. Glitch appears to be the first full-time influencer to do so, though there are others with popular social accounts: Conservative influencer Rep. Anna Paulina Luna was elected to Florida’s 13th District in 2022, while last year, the 25-year-old lawyer and TikToker Cheyenne Hunt ran for California’s 45th District, though he ultimately lost. Both Paul And there’s fellow YouTuber Mr. Beast expressed their desire (whether sincerely or not) to run for president.
“I’m able to connect with people to help solve problems: bringing value to people’s lives is a big part of what I do every day as a content creator, and it’s similar to what I want to achieve in the U.S. Senate,” Gleich said. “When I approach brands and make sales pitches, I want to focus on their needs first. And it’s really about centering Utahn’s voice.”
Carlyle cites a 1990 political science text Actors, Athletes, and Astronauts: Political Amateurs in the United States Congress As a way to explain how name recognition can help already famous people get into political office. Arnold Schwarzenegger was able to translate his Hollywood stardom into the governorship of California, though for the crowd of Instagram influencers, that leap is much more difficult. “Name recognition doesn’t necessarily translate to local name recognition,” he explains, cautioning that just because an influencer has a global following doesn’t guarantee them votes in the area they’re running.
On Reddit, where influencers often tend toward the snarky, Some have accused Glitch used the election to boost his career on social media. “The cynical part of me thinks this is just a big branding move – one that will earn him more money and sponsorships once he inevitably loses the election,” one person wrote. Others defended his candidacy: “We need more young liberals with diverse backgrounds running for office in Utah, and he seems willing to take on the huge financial and public image of doing so,” wrote another.
Campaign finance for influencers is a uniquely thorny issue. The Federal Election Commission currently considers any sponsored brand post that features a candidate and within 90 days of an election to be subject to the “integrated communications” rule. It would therefore be considered a “matching contribution” and would need to be listed on the candidate’s campaign finance report. “These are the companies that are sponsoring [an influencer] Then step into a thicket of campaign finance law,” Carlyle said.
“I absolutely think America would be better served with more content creators in office.”
Glitch is pushing back these rules, Recently filed a request to avoid necessity. He says profits from his content creation career have dropped by 90 percent this year due to the campaign, which has been “devastating” financially. “When I send [brands] As a rule, it’s a deal breaker. It’s very complicated for advertisers,” he says.
Although he “has been able to float after two really good years of work”, he insists that this is remarkable Running for office is tough “Unless you’re retired or independently wealthy.” “Some antiquated campaign laws make it really challenging to navigate. And I think that’s a big part of why we don’t see more 38-year-olds running for office.”
Glitch hopes the changes he’s pushing for will encourage more content creators and young people to get involved in politics. “I absolutely think America would be better served if we had more content creators in office,” she says. “I think we’re going to see a lot more people of different backgrounds doing that in the next decade.”
One way influencers can encourage political activism on a small scale is to make it seem cool to young people. When he first started posting about politics, he says, “We really wanted to get voter registration and the public hearings we were doing looked really fun and cool so people wanted to get involved.” While current politicians are using the power of online to campaign for them, it will be interesting to see if this translates when digital natives seek elected roles in politics.
After all, as a professional content creator, Glitch is already used to the harassment levied against politicians: Sexist attacksTrolls, comment them Self-presentation. In a country that demands carefully curated authenticity from influencers and politicians, perhaps both have value. Only time will tell if more lawsuits follow.
