Online Competition Winners Announced
Gaining followers on social media has become an integral way for Congress and the federal government work to connect every day with constituents. House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) has hosted the Member Online All-Star Competition in Congress for several years. The Online All-Star Competition has Democratic members of the House competing for the most new social media followers. The 2016 Online Competition Winners have just been announced.
Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13) is the 2016 MVP and gained an impressive 10,470 new followers. Part of the win for her was her passionate argument for legislation to combat gun violence. She partnered with actor Danny Glover to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter, invoking Martin Luther King Jr. to preach peace and non-violence, answering constituent questions on Facebook and on Twitter, and posting excellent #FlashbackFriday pictures.
Whip Hoyer said he was pleased to announce the Online Competition Winners All-Stars, who led House Democrats in acquiring a record 248,000 new followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. “That’s nearly a quarter of a million Americans who will now regularly hear from House Democrats thanks to our collective efforts,” Mr. Hoyer said. “I congratulate Reps. Barbara Lee, Ted Lieu, and Tulsi Gabbard on being named MVPs, and I thank all of the members and their staffs for their hard work and innovative efforts to reach and engage with more Americans through social media.”
Another California member of the House, freshman MVP Ted Lieu (CA-33), gained 4,185 new followers. Part of his strategy involved advocating for an end to the influence Super PACs have on elections, calling for common sense gun legislation, testifying against LGBT discrimination, and well-received questioning of FBI Director James Comey.
Hawaii is home to another winner. Election Blackout MVP Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) got 6,719 new followers in part by advocating for stronger privacy and civil liberties protections, discussing strategies to defeat ISIS, arguing for clear GMO food labeling, and sharing photos of her Hawaii congressional district.
In addition to individuals, Committee Democrats and Caucuses were also part of the competition. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Energy & Commerce Committee Democrats, Oversight & Government Reform Committee Democrats, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats were named 2016 All-Stars.
This year’s total of more than 248,000 new followers for House Democrats on social networks marks another significant increase over the previous year’s total.
Congressman Hoyer also released a video highlighting creative content from the 2016 Member Online All-Star Competition, including the winning posts.
Follow Congressman Hoyer on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.
