Posted by Keturah Hetrick on Dec. 12, 2022
Speculation continues that Democrats may begin to leave Twitter. But among Congress's freshman class, it's Democrats who have more followers to lose if they depart from the app.
The average incoming Republican lawmaker has 40,000 Twitter followers, according to a LegiStorm analysis. The average incoming Democrat has 57% more than that, closing in an average of 64,000 followers.
Incoming Republicans have a combined follower count of 1.8 million. Incoming Democrats have 2.2 million - 22% more, despite making up only 44% of future lawmakers in this analysis.
Sen.-elect John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is the freshman class's most followed: His 932,000 followers make up 23% of incoming members' combined follower count of 4 million. Rep.-elect Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Sen.-elect J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have just shy of 439,000 and 349,000, respectively.
LegiStorm's calculations tallied members-elects' campaign, personal and official Twitter accounts, including both active and inactive accounts. This count includes the 79 new members who will be sworn in on January 3, plus Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), who took office the week after Election Day. It does not include Sens.-elect Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) or Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who each have well-established Twitter accounts in their official capacities as current representatives.
Some people and organizations who "caught our eye" last week:
