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Democrats Embrace Social Media Influencers to Reconnect with Latino Voters
An evening rally ahead of Texas’ primary election showcased a new direction in Democratic campaign strategy, as the party attempts to regain ground with Latino voters through social media influencers.
At a Houston Mexican restaurant this week, progressive TikTok star Carlos Eduardo Espina, who commands more than 14 million followers, mingled with Democratic lawmakers and excited attendees. The gathering served as both a pre-primary event and the launch of a strategic initiative aimed at countering Republican advances with Latino voters in the 2024 election.
“I do think there’s a lot of failures in the past Democratic Party, but I think initiatives like this one are pretty cool,” Espina told reporters at the event, acknowledging the party’s belated recognition that it needs to find innovative ways to connect with voters beyond traditional campaign events.
The strategy, dubbed “RUIDO” (Spanish for “noise”), was developed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political arm and is making its debut in Houston as early voting begins for Texas’ March 3 statewide primary. Party strategists hope to harness the popularity of local influencers like Espina to more effectively communicate Democratic messaging to Latino communities.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat who chairs the caucus’ political action committee, acknowledged the party’s previous oversight: “The Trump campaign reached out to those nontraditional voices to amplify their message. We didn’t anticipate that was going to be a way by which politics was disseminated. We’ve seen the contrary, that we do need to be in those spaces, as well.”
This initiative comes at a critical time for Democrats, who continue struggling with broad voter dissatisfaction and questions about engaging younger voters, people of color, and working-class Americans who shifted toward Republicans in 2024. During that election cycle, former President Donald Trump made significant inroads with Latino voters through a strategy heavily focused on online content creators, podcasters, and streamers.
The RUIDO program offers stipends to content creators accepted into the network, providing financial support for travel expenses as they work with political campaigns. While Espina noted the compensation was modest compared to his typical earnings from videos that garner hundreds of thousands of views, he suggested it could be more impactful for influencers with smaller audiences.
Nine Houston-area content creators have been recruited thus far, with followings ranging from a few thousand to around 100,000. Their content spans various interests including food, travel, sports, and local attractions, not just politics.
Carlos Castillo, another influencer participating in the network, explained their approach: “People are going to act more when they hear from a family member, when they hear from a friend. Just talking to people in an organic way, whether it’s through get-ready-with-me videos and just slightly mentioning, ‘Oh, also, by the way, the primaries are coming up in our state.'”
Castillo noted that the stipend offered was comparable to commissions he receives from major companies like Comcast, United Airlines, and FIFA Houston, suggesting the party is making a serious financial commitment to this strategy.
Espina, who posts Spanish-language political videos that regularly attract hundreds of thousands of likes, emphasized that authenticity and substantive messaging are crucial for winning over online audiences. He pointed out that Democrats had lost their way in recent years by moving away from discussions about working-class issues and instead adopting language that felt disconnected from voters’ everyday experiences.
“I think a lot of that messaging a few years back kind of got lost. But now I think, especially after the wake-up call from the 2024 election, things have definitely gotten better,” Espina said.
While the effectiveness of recruiting local influencers in competitive districts remains to be proven, both major parties now recognize the necessity of supplementing traditional campaign methods to reach voters who typically don’t engage with political content.
This realization may boost the influence of content creators like Espina, who acknowledged, “Honestly, that I have more influence, at least right now, as a social media content creator, than I would in any kind of elected office, at least any that I can run for.”
When asked about his own political aspirations, Espina joked, “Who knows, maybe I’ll run against Ted Cruz in a few years. That would be pretty fun.”
As early voting begins in Texas, Democrats are watching closely to see if this digital strategy can help them reconnect with Latino voters who will be crucial in both the primaries and the general election ahead.
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8 Comments
The Democrats’ decision to work with social media stars like Carlos Eduardo Espina is a savvy move. Reaching voters through the platforms and creators they already engage with is a smart strategy. I’ll be interested to see if this RUIDO initiative helps the party make inroads with the Latino community.
The Democrats’ new push to use social media influencers to reach Latino voters is a bold move. It acknowledges the party’s past shortcomings in this area and shows a willingness to adapt. I’m curious to see if this RUIDO initiative can help them make inroads and win back some of that demographic.
Interesting to see the Democrats tapping into social media influencers to reconnect with Latino voters. It’s a smart strategy, as reaching people where they already spend time online can be very effective. Curious to see how this plays out in the 2024 election.
I’m glad to see the Democrats trying new approaches to engage Latino voters. This RUIDO initiative sounds like a creative way to leverage popular content creators and meet people where they are. It will be fascinating to watch if this helps the party win back some ground in the Hispanic community.
Definitely an innovative strategy. Engaging social media influencers could be a great way to cut through the noise and directly connect with Latino voters, especially younger ones. It will be interesting to see the results.
I have to commend the Democrats for trying something new with this RUIDO strategy. Tapping into popular social media creators to engage Latino voters is a smart way to cut through the clutter. It will be fascinating to see if this helps the party gain ground in the 2024 election cycle.
Using social media influencers to connect with Latino voters is a bold and innovative strategy from the Democrats. It shows an understanding that traditional campaign methods may not be as effective in the digital age. I’m curious to see how this RUIDO initiative plays out and if it helps the party regain ground.
Interesting approach by the Democrats to leverage social media influencers in their efforts to reconnect with Latino voters. It’s an acknowledgment that traditional campaign tactics may not be as effective in today’s digital landscape. Curious to see if this RUIDO initiative pays off for them.