The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is significantly expanding its engagement with social media influencers, partnering with over 500 creators to enhance the party's online messaging as it looks toward the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race. This initiative represents a strategic effort to counter Republican dominance in the social media landscape, where influencers and podcasters have become increasingly influential.
Matt Rein, the DNC's director of the "Influencer & Creative" program, stated that a primary goal is to establish the program as a long-term, sustainable model. "The program... was something that really needed to be built back up, and I think we've absolutely done that over the last year," Rein told ABC News. The DNC provides participating creators with political video clips and regular briefings featuring Democratic lawmakers and officials. Recent sessions included discussions on the Iran conflict with Rep. Jason Crow and on the Jeffrey Epstein files with Rep. Jamie Raskin.
The DNC's program does not stipulate a minimum follower count for creators, welcoming individuals with as few as 1,000 followers alongside those with millions. "Our focus is getting content to people who are reaching Americans every single day online and certainly I think we've done that," Rein said. According to a November 2025 Pew Research report, approximately 21% of U.S. adults regularly get news from social media influencers, a figure that rises to 38% among young adults aged 18-29.
Concerns regarding transparency in the use of influencers for political campaigns have emerged. Currently, no federal laws mandate that social media influencers disclose payments received from political campaigns or entities. This lack of regulation came to the forefront during the California gubernatorial primary, where activist Tom Steyer faced scrutiny for allegedly paying influencers. The Fair Political Practices Commission investigated Steyer's campaign for potential violations of a California law requiring disclosure of paid endorsements. The New York Times reported that Carlos Eduardo Espina, an influencer with over 17 million followers, endorsed Steyer after receiving $100,000 from the campaign as an adviser, a payment that was not disclosed in his videos.
Steyer, in response to reports, stated on Substack that creators were compensated for their work and time, similar to campaign staff and consultants, and that all compensated creators were publicly disclosed as legally required. He was defeated in the June primary. In October, the Campaign Legal Center petitioned the Federal Election Commission to require disclaimers on political ads from influencers. Shanna Ports, senior legal counsel for campaign finance at the Campaign Legal Center, noted that without federal disclaimers, voters are unable to distinguish between organic endorsements and paid promotions.
Rein clarified that the DNC does not pay influencers and emphasizes relationship-building. "I think for us the most important thing, and I would say this, of you know, the broader ecosystem, is forming these relationships now with creators that will pay dividends, of course, this November and far beyond," he said.