The Power of Political Influencers

 

Social media influencers are generally experts in non-political niche industries like beauty, fashion, sports, tech, or gaming, and they use their popularity to work with brands and advertise products. However, in recent years, we have seen a rise in a different type of niche influencer – the political influencer!

Political influencers, or digital opinion leaders, utilize their reach and popularity to enhance political engagements or intensify discussions on such issues as immigration, LGBTQA rights, climate change, and more. They also serve as go-to sources for information about current local and world events.

Political influencers – with respective careers in various fields such as journalism, broadcasting, the legal profession, entertainment, and sports – are ever-present on various social media platforms, particularly on Twitter. Political influencers play a crucial role in disseminating information on social media and digital platforms. These influencers make political communication appear understandable and approachable, which in turn can help increase political engagement.

According to Frontiers, political influencers can potentially spark more interest in politics among younger audiences because “they appear relatable and close to youth’s reality in terms of their language and relation to politics and, therefore, might have a crucial impact on young people’s political attitudes.”

Below, our top government marketing agency compiled a list of the 50 top political influencers in 2023 whose amplified voices on social media set the mood for engaging political discussions.

 

1. RACHEL MADDOW @maddow (10.6M)

 

 

First on our list of the top political influencers is the MNSBC host and political commentator, Rachel Maddow. Described as a cable queen by US News, Ms. Maddow pulls in more than 3 million nightly viewers on her top-rated news program, The Rachel Maddow Show. Her program is the most sought-after venue for political contenders to pitch themselves and seek favor or support from its multitude of audiences.

 

2. DANA WHITE @danawhite (5.9M)

 

 

UFC President Dana White keeps soaring high as one of the top political influencers A civic leader, Dana White joined a select group of industry leaders in April 2020 to help rebuild the U.S. economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

3. SEAN HANNITY @seanhannity (5.6M)

 

 

Fox News stalwart Sean Hannity is one of the top political influencers. Sean remains committed to the “America First” agenda and continues to engage in discussions on his Twitter profile.

 

4. TUCKER CARLSON @TuckerCarlson (5M)

 

 

Tucker Carlson is an American talk show and currents affair program host, book author, political analyst, and one of the top political influencers. He began his media career in the 1990s, writing for The Weekly Standard and other publications before he shifted to broadcasting. Despite having been highly disparaged for his promotion of conspiracy theories, Carlson remains one of the influential voices in the mass media industry.

 

5. BEN SHAPIRO @benshapiro (4.2M)

 

 

Benjamin Aaron Shapiro is an American political commentator, podcast host, attorney, columnist, and one of the top political influencers. His political views are classically religious-conservative. His controversial views about homosexuality, the Iraq invasion, slavery, the Black Lives Matter movement, Western civilization as superior over others, and other socio-political issues have raised eyebrows and provoked public ire.

 

6. LAURA INGRAHAM @IngrahamAngle (4.1M)

 

 

TV and radio show host Laura Ingraham has consistently advocated the American first policy. As one of the top political influencers, Ingraham is no stranger to creating controversies and receiving public backlash, especially on her anti-immigration views. Her conservative views make her a “national figure and a Fox News advocate,” according to Business Insider.

 

7. JAKE TAPPER @jaketapper (3.3M)

 

 

Also on the list of the top political influencers is a multi-awarded journalist and prominent CNN news anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper, who runs a Twitter account with 3.3 million followers. Tapper is a widely-respected media personality, receiving praises from liberals and conservatives alike. His political stance is moderate. He is most recently recognized in 2018 for his “ability to hold Republicans and Democrats to account equally”. As he explained in one interview, “probably like a lot of people, my politics are all over the map…I’m not a member of a political party, and I feel very, very comfortable being independent”.

 

8. BILL O’REILLY @BillOReilly (3.1M)

 

 

While many view him as conservative, political commentator, author, journalist, and former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly consider himself independent. This top political influencer has long said that he does not identify with any political ideology and that his political position changes depending on the issues involved.

 

9. CANDACE OWENS @RealCandaceO (3.1M)

 

 

Another top political influencer is a American talk show host, author, political commentator, and activist Candace Owens. She is the founder and host of Candace on The Daily Wire. In February 2021, Owens tweeted her intention to run for President in 2024.

 

10. JEANINE PIRRO @JudgeJeanine (2.5M)

 

 

Jeanine Ferris Pirro is a former New York State judge, prosecutor, politician, television show host, and one of the top political influencers. Pirro earned a reputation as a fierce, extremely skilled prosecutor and the first female judge elected in Westchester County, New York. Her popularity ascended when she became the host of Fox News Channel’s Justice with Judge Jeanine. She recently joined the channel’s roundtable program “The Five,” one of the most popular shows on cable TV.

 

11. CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD @cthagod (2.1M)

 

 

A hip-hop disc jock-turned-political pundit, Charlamagne Tha God, whose real name is Lenard Larry McKelvey, is one of the fast-rising political influencers. Charlemagne rose to fame as a co-host of the American syndicated top-rated radio show The Breakfast Club, where the common topics of discussion are celebrity gossip, dating issues, and politics. With a knack for political discussions, Charlamagne has a lot to say about the Black perspective on a myriad of social and political issues in the United States, including voting rights and health care.

 

12. CHUCK TODD @chucktodd (2.1M)

 

 

Chuck Todd, one of the top political influencers, is the NBC News political director, chief White House correspondent, and “Meet the Press” moderator. Noted for his passion for politics and polling data, he has provided on-air political analysis on several politically-inclined shows, including Meet the Press, NBC Nightly News, and The Rachel Maddow Show. Although his registered political affiliation is unknown, some news reports alleged that he has a left-leaning tendency. This political influencer keeps it neutral and is willing to speak to and criticize both sides of the aisle, no matter his official political affiliation.

 

13. JOY-ANN REID @JoyAnnReid (2.1M)

 

 

MSNBC National Correspondent and political analyst Joy-Ann Reid is a self-described as a person “who has always been interested in news and politics”.  She became a talk radio host covering politics and worked on the end of the Barack Obama campaign. Currently, Ms. Reid is hosting her MSNBC show “The Reid Out” where she conducts one-on-one interviews with politicians and newsmakers while addressing provocative political issues. In addition to her work in the mainstream media, Ms. Reid, one of the top political influencers, is also a prolific blogger and an author best known for the book, Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons, and the Racial Divide.

 

14. ANN COULTER @AnnCoulter (2M)

 

 

Lawyer, author, syndicated columnist, Ann Coulter joins the list of the top political influencers. Ms. Coulter first became a public figure in the late 1990s. Coulter became the legal adviser for the attorneys representing Paula Jones on the sexual harassment case against President Clinton and played a key role in keeping the case alive. Despite the controversies in which she was involved, Ann Coulter remains one of the influential figures on television programs.

 

 15. GLENN GREENWALD @ggreenwald (1.8M Followers)

 

 

Brazil-based American journalist, constitutional lawyer, and four-time New York Times best-selling author Glenn Edward Greenwald is a force to be reckoned with. Greenwald, now one of the top political influencers, began his career as a litigation attorney and then shifted to political writing. His series of reports published by The Guardian newspaper catapulted his success as a journalist. In the same year, Greenwald joined the Foreign Policy magazine’s list of the top 100 Global Thinkers. The NSA reporting he led for The Guardian was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for public service. Bill Moyers regarded him as “(t)he most important voice to have entered the political discourse in years.”

 

16. TOMI LAHREN @TomiLahren (1.7M)

 

 

TV presenter, one of the top political influencers, and political commentator Tomi Rae Augustus Lahren gained popularity on her show Tomi on the Blaze for her short video segments called “final thoughts.” Ms. Lahren has been described by BBC as an “anti-feminist who admires strong women.” New York Times also named her a “rising media star” for her short videos that went viral.

 

17. STEVEN CROWDER @scrowder (1.6m)

 

 

American-Canadian social media personality, stand-up comedian, and media host Steven Blake Crowder is one of the top political influencers with a massive following across his social media channels, including Youtube (5.6M), Facebook (3.3 M), Instagram (1.1M) and Twitter (1.6M). Crowder is noted for sharing satirical content and political commentary on his podcast Louder with Crowder as well as his YouTube channel.

 

18. JON FAVREAU @jonfavs (1.4M)

 

 

Behind every great leadership speech is a prolific speechwriter whose words aim to captivate an audience, and Jonathan Edward Favreau knows exactly how to do that. Jon Favreau, currently one of the top political influencers, began working for Barack Obama (then a Senator) in 2005, where he wrote every major speech that the senator delivered. In 2009, following Obama’s assumption of office, Favreau was appointed Assistant to the President and the chief speechwriter, becoming the second-youngest chief White House speechwriter on record after James Fallows. TIME magazine named Favreau one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World”. He was also featured in GQ’s “ 50 Most Powerful People in D.C.” and one of several Obama administration members in the 2009 “World’s Most Beautiful People” issue of People magazine. Favreau is also a podcaster and a liberal political commentator who co-founded liberal media company Crooked Media with fellow Obama staffers and began co-hosting the political podcast Pod Save America with Vietor, Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer.

 

19. NICOLLE WALLACE @NicolleDWallace (1.2M)

 

 

Nicolle Wallace is an American television host, bestselling author, political analyst, and one of the top political influencers. Wallace served as the White House Communications Director during the presidency of George W. Bush and established herself as GOP’s top strategist.

20. ANA MARIE COX @anamariecox (1.1M)

 

 

American author, blogger, and political columnist Ana Marie Cox is one of the early, eager adopters of Twitter where she often tweets about mental health, cute animals, and politics. Cox, who considers herself a political junkie, has always been enthusiastic about politics since she was 8 years old. Her dream of finding a role as a political player came to reality when she served as an intern for the Nebraska Delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1988. However, such an experience made her realize how messy politics is, and would rather “understand” than take part in it.

 

21. MEHDI RAZA HASAN @mehdirhasan 1.1M Followers

 

 

Mehdi Raza Hasan is a British-American journalist of Indian descent, former al-Jazeera presenter, and Intercept columnist. Hasan, as one of the top political influencers, is currently an MSNBC host. His show covers insightful reporting and probing interviews that examine the day’s events and provide a deeper level of context for the politics of the interconnected society. In addition to being a political commentator, Hasan also authored two books and won the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2018 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Online Column Writing.

 

22. SCOTT PRESSLER @ScottPresler (990.4K)

 

 

As a national activist and public speaker, Scott Presler gained notoriety for his community organizing and cleanup events in trash-infested cities, particularly in Baltimore, during the 2020 election cycle. He is on a mission to empower and educate as well as to increase the numbers of registered voters, and help recruit and train America 1st candidates for elected office. As one of the top political influencers, Scott was the recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award at CPAC 2021.

 

23. NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES @nhannahjones  674.1K

 

 

Also known by her Twitter name Ida Bae Wells, Nikole Hannah Jones is a prominent investigative journalist for The New York Times, who is known for her coverage of civil rights in the United States. As a political activist, Ms. Hannah-Jones developed the 1619 Project, alongside other writers from The New York Times, which aims to reframe American history by placing the consequences of slavery and racism in the United States’ narrative. In 2020, she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for this project. Hannah-Jones, one of the top political influencers, founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, with a mission to encourage minority journalists to expose government injustices and defend people who are vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment.

 

24. REVEREND AL SHARPTON @TheRevAl 671.3K Followers

 

 

Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr., also known as Reverend Al Sharpton, is an African-American Baptist minister, civil rights leader, and a political influencer. Once infamous for being an ambulance-chasing, street-protest provocateur, the Reverend transformed into a “refined agitator”, as per a CBS News article. Reverend Al is highly respected for championing Black rights causes; he has been described as “a champion in the fight for civil rights.” As one of the top political influencers, he also rallies in favor of criminal justice reform, citing the fact that black people represent a greater proportion of those arrested and incarcerated in America.

 

25. DONNA BRAZILE @donnabrazile (655K)

 

 

Donna Brazile is an expert political strategist, best-selling author, and former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She is best known as the campaign manager for Al Gore in 2000, becoming the first African American woman to direct a major presidential campaign in U.S. History. As a tenacious political organizer, she has garnered the respect and admiration of colleagues and adversaries alike with her witty style and state-of-the-art political strategies. In 2004, Ms. Brazile published her memoir, Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics, which provides an intimate account of her thirty years in politics. Brazile was named one of 20 “remarkable visionaries” in The Oprah Magazine’s “O Power List”. She was also listed as one of the top 100 most powerful women by Washingtonian Magazine and received an award for political achievement from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

 

26. DAVE WEIGEL @daveweigel 602.1K

 

 

Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel, one of the top political influencers, is known for covering Congress and grass-roots political movements. Aside from being a political reporter, Weigel ran a blog covering politics as his area of expertise. Politico named Weigel as one of the “50 Politicos to Watch in 2020.” Since 2015, Weigel has been writing for the Washington Post and covering grassroots movements as part of the publication’s presidential coverage.

 

27. JAY SEKULOW @JaySekulow (499.4K)

 

 

American Lawyer and media personality, Jay Sekulow has built a legal and media business over a three-decade period by representing conservative, religious, and pro-life groups. He has been a well-known figure within the conservative legal circles, often fighting religious freedom cases before the Supreme Court. Sekulow actively hosts a syndicated radio show and is a frequent guest commentator on the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Fox News Channel television networks.

 

28. MATT DRUDGE @DRUDGE  (478.1K)

 

 

American news editor and political commentator Matt Drudge is behind Drudge Report, a U.S.-based news aggregation that consists mainly of selected links to news websites all over the world. As a journalist, Drudge has been given several epithets, including “the Walter Cronkite of his era” by Mark Halperin and John F. Harris, “the country’s reigning mischief-maker” by Todd Purdum of The New York Times, and “a modern Tom Paine” by David McClintick. Mr. Drudge, one of the top political influencers, has been described as a conservative populist by The Daily Telegraph In 1998, Drudge claimed that his politics are “libertarian except for drugs and abortion”. In 2001, he told the Miami New Times: “I am a conservative. I’m very much pro-life.” In 2002, he described himself as “Free from any Corporate Concerns”. In a 2005 interview with The Sunday Times, Drudge described his politics: “I’m not a right-wing Republican. I’m a conservative and want to pay fewer taxes. And I did vote Republican at the last election. But I’m more of a populist.”

 

29. KEN KLIPPENSTEIN  @kenklippenstein 449.3K Followers

 

 

Despite gaining notoriety as a Twitter prankster for tricking several political figures and celebrities, National security reporter for The Intercept and DC correspondent for The Nation, Ken Klippenstein knows exactly why he keeps doing that. A self-proclaimed “FOIA geek”; much of his investigative report draws on information he has uncovered from primary-sourced documents requested from the US state and federal government. Through the encrypted messaging service Signal, he also invites individuals to leak information that is crucial for his report. His manner of obtaining sensitive documents came in handy in exposing truths and lies within the bureaucracies of the executive branch, thus making him one of the most fearless reporters during the Trump era. As one of the boldest progressive political influencers, Klippenstein said in a 2020 interview, “I sort of become a dissent channel for career people that I think a lot of other reporters pass up,”.

 

30. BRITTANY PACKNETT-CUNNINGHAM @mspackyetti 426.7K Followers

 

 

Of those progressive political influencers who work around social change and racial justice, a name often stands out: Brittany Packnett-Cunningham. An award-winning educator, organizer, writer, and community leader, Ms. Packnett Cunningham has established a brand on Twitter as a voice for young activists. Through her involvement in organizing protests against police brutality in 2014, she was appointed to the Ferguson Commission to conduct an in-depth study of the region’s socio-economic conditions. This eventually led her to be appointed to President Barack Obama’s 21st Century Policing task force to offer recommendations on police reform. Since then, Packnett Cunningham, one of the top political influencers, has become a sought-after voice and expert on blatant police violence towards the Black community. She has also held top roles at Teach for America, served as a Congressional policy advisor, and co-founded Campaign Zero, a police reform campaign.

 

31. WAYNE DUPREE @WayneDupreeShow  (440.1K)

 

 

Former Air Force fighter-turned conservative talk radio host, blogger, and political commentator Wayne Dupree is also a well-known Trump advocate. In 2016, he was chosen as a board member of the National Diversity Coalition for Donald Trump. In 2017, Dupree was named a member of the Newsmax’s Top 50 Influential African-American Republicans. His strong conservative voice has also become instrumental in battling the Trump opposition media during the former president’s tenure. Dupree continues to use his social media platforms and radio show to fight for America and spread the conservative message daily.

 

32. CHARLOTTE CLYMER @cmclymer 381.6K Followers

 

 

Charlotte Clymer is a writer, activist, military veteran, a proud transgender woman, and one of the top political influencers. After her military service for more than six years, Clymer worked as the rapid response press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group and political lobbying organization. She also served as the director of communications and strategy for Catholics for Choice, an abortion-rights dissenting Catholic advocacy group based in Washington. As a progressive influencer, she frequently takes to social media, particularly Twitter, her views on certain social and political issues, including LGBTQ rights, veterans’ affairs, social equality as well as identity politics.

 

33. BRIAHNA JOY GRAY @briebriejoy (348K)

 

 

Former lawyer-turned political commentator and consultant, Briahna Joy Gray has gained public attention on Twitter since the 2016 Democratic primaries, supporting Bernie Sander’s presidential candidacy. In 2020, she joined Sander’s 2020 campaign as his National Press Secretary. But when Sanders dropped out of the 2020 Democratic race and Joe Biden replaced him, Gray didn’t bother supporting the latter’s nomination. She went back to her role as contributing editor at Current Affairs in addition to co-hosting the Bad Faith podcast with Chapo Trap House co-host Virgil Texas. As one of the political influencers, Gray was included in Fortune magazine’s ’40 Under 40′ listing under the “Government and Politics” category.

 

34. TOM STEYER @TomSteyer 297.1K Followers

 

 

Tom Steyer is an American billionaire, banker, philanthropist, environmentalist, and a liberal activist. Since being an entrepreneur, Seyer has switched his focus to politics and the environment; he launched NextGen America, a nonprofit organization that supports climate change, immigration, health care, and education. In 2020, he sought the Democratic nomination for president but dropped out of the race after an underwhelming finish in the South Carolina Democratic primary. As a philanthropist, Steyer and his wife signed The Giving Pledge to donate half of their fortune to charity during their lifetime.

 

35. DAVID SIROTA @davidsirota (288.5K)

 

 

David Sirota, one of the top political influencers, is an American journalist, radio host, author, screenwriter, and political commentator.  He is the founder and primary writer of the Daily Poster newsletter on Substack as well as the editor-at-large for the socialist magazine Jacobin. Despite his progressive political views, Sirota does not affiliate himself with any political party. He has been a critic of the past administrations, including that of Clinton, Bush, and Obama. His blunt, unapologetic manners have often been the subject of disparagement by fellow commentators and other public figures.

 

36. JOSH BARRO @jbarro 287K Followers

 

 

Josh Barro is an American Journalist, former Business Insider columnist, and newsletter, podcast creator, and one of top political influencers. Through his podcast, Very Serious, Barro initiates a weekly conversation with prominent political commentators, columnists, and policymakers on serious and not-so-serious topics revolving around politics, economics, and culture. As one of the most active Twitter users, Barro’s feed was named one of “The 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2013” under the Politics category by Time. In 2012, Forbes selected him as one of the “30 Under 30” media “brightest stars under the age of 30.” He was also included in the list of Obama’s favorite columnists.

 

37. ZERLINA MAXWELL @ZerlinaMaxwell  281.2K Followers

 

 

Political analyst, commentator, TV and radio host, speaker, and writer Zerlina Maxwell, one of the top political influencers, is a must-follow progressive political influencer on Twitter. New York Times has listed Maxwell as a top political twitter voice to follow during the 2012 election. TIME has also selected her as one of the best Twitter feeds in 2014. Her work centers around national politics, candidates, and specific policy and cultural issues including feminism, domestic violence, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and gender inequality. She has also published articles in a variety of publications, including The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, and JET Magazine, to name a few.

 

38. JORDAN UHL @jordanuhl 270.8K Followers

 

 

Jordan Uhl is an activist, podcaster, and writer best known for posting his political views online. Uhl currently serves as the video distribution manager for MoveOn.org. as well as the founder of Nobody is Above the Law. His Twitter account has a substantial following of more than 270 thousand followers and he often uses it to express his support for incendiary political tactics.

 

39. PARKER MOLLOY @parkermolloy 247.2K Followers

 

 

Parker Molloy is one of the top political influencers, a writer, blogger, and transgender activist with a focus on politics, culture, and media. She often criticizes the mainstream media and writes extensively about conspiracies and disinformation. Molloy is one of the most well-known advocates for transgender rights on Twitter. In 2014, Molloy was included in the second annual Trans 100 list, recognizing the work of 100 transgender advocates in the United States. She was also named to Windy City Times’ annual “30 Under 30” list, honoring “the best in LGBTQIA activism, business, culture, non-profit work and more,” In October 2013, Molloy wrote an essay, “I am a Transgender Woman, and This is What It’s Like”, that led to her nomination for the 2014 National Women’s Political Caucus Exceptional Merit in Media Award. She wrote an eBook entitled, My Transgender Coming Out Story, which was released in 2014.

 

40. ELIZABETH BRUENIG @ebruenig 215.8K Followers

 

 

American journalist Elizabeth Bruenig is a rising star in journalism, having been a finalist in 2019 for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. She previously worked for The New York Times and Washington Post as an opinion writer who focuses on ethics, theology, politics, and economics. Currently, Bruenig is a staff writer for The Atlantic covering the intersection of politics, religion, and culture. In a Persuasion podcast where she is the guest, Bruenig expresses her deep desires to have a stronger welfare state where there is higher social trust and peace between the citizenry. Together with her husband, Matt Bruenig, they run a weekly podcast called The Bruenigs where they talk about the news, online happenings, and their lives.

 

41. ERICK ERICKSON @ewerickson 204.1K

 

 

RedState editor and political commentator Erick Erickson emerged as a driving force behind the Tea Party, a political movement that primarily called for lower taxes and a reduction of the national debt and federal deficit. Radio host Rush Limbaugh, whom Erickson occasionally guest-hosts in his syndicated radio show, often cites that “Erickson’s conservatism is of a more traditional bent, deeply informed by his evangelical faith.” Molly Ball of The Atlantic describes Erickson as “a man known for his intemperate remarks, and arguably the most powerful conservative in America today.” In addition to his blogging career, Erickson is also a Fox News contributor, a syndicated newspaper columnist, and the drive-time host on Atlanta-based WSB, the nation’s fourth-largest talk-radio station.

 

42. LARRY SABATO @LarrySabato (203.9K)

 

 

Larry Sabato is a highly-regarded political figure in American political media. Sabato founded the University of Virginia Center for Politics with a mission to promote civic engagement and participation. As a political scientist and former professor, he has taught over 20,000 students in his career and received The Thomas Jefferson Award, the highest honor given by the University of Virginia for his exemplary work. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen books on American Politics, a recipient of four Emmy awards for the PBS television documentaries “Out of Order”, “The Kennedy Half-Century,” “Feeling Good About America,”, and “Charlottesville,” and the mastermind behind Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a leading political site and online newsletter in the field of political prediction. Sabato, currently one of the top political influencers, is also an active Twitter user and his Twitter feed (@LarrySabato) was named by Time magazine as one of the 140 best.

 

43. MATT BRUENIG @MattBruenig 187.4K

 

 

The other half of The Bruenigs is Matt Bruenig, a lawyer, blogger, policy analyst, and a commentator. Bruenig is the founder of People’s Policy Project, the crowd-funded think tank that focuses on social, economic, and political equity issues. Bruenig is an advocate of single-payer healthcare and has argued extensively in favor of its feasibility. He describes his brand of socialism as “the idea that capital (the means of production) should be owned collectively. A verified Twitter user, Bruenig is outspoken on economic policy and politics. He strongly supported Bernie Sanders’s presidential candidacy during the 2020 primary.

 

44. MARKOS MOULITSAS @markos (183.2K)

 

 

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, one of the top political influencers, is a former soldier-turned blogger and activist who founded Daily Kos, a political blog that focuses on liberal politics. Moulitsas, who is also known by his military nickname “Kos”, was an ex-Republican, but drifted away from his former political affiliation and turned to the party that to him, is “more in tune with my civil liberties, my right to live my life the way I see fit, without meddlesome government interference and meddlesome corporate interference.” That’s when he created his weblog that has eventually become one of the largest liberal community blogs in the United States, with over 2.3 million registered users and 8 million unique viewers per month as of July 2018. The popularity of Daily Kos has attracted the attention of many Democratic leaders including John Kerry, former President Jimmy Carter, and former President Barack Obama, among others. Through his platform of the Daily Kos, Moulitsas has raised large amounts of money for Democratic candidates and has tried to shape Democratic Presidential primaries.

 

45. JEFF JARVIS @jeffjarvis (176.6K)

 

 

Noted professor, public speaker, blogger, and journalist Jeff Jarvis talks broadly about politics, journalism, tech, and social media. The BuzzMachine blogger is best known for advocating the “Open Web” that has made modern life public, arguing that there are social and personal benefits to living a more public life on the Internet. His admiration for “all things Internet” has become the subject of a popular Twitter parody account, @ProfJeffJarvis, which, despite Jarvis’ exasperation over the satirical account, it was favorably received by the media circles. As for his political affiliation, Jarvis describes himself as a “liberal-centrist leaning left.” Despite being a Democrat, he claims to have voted party-line in most elections. Nonetheless, he notes that he upsets some Democrats for not always agreeing with them and for linking to those with whom they disagree. Jarvis says that is why he likes the blogosphere so much: because it allows him to talk with people whose opinions do not align with his views.

 

46. WALEED SHAHID @_waleedshahid (133.9K)

 

 

Political strategist, spokesperson for Justice Democrats and one of the top political influencers, Waleed Shahid, developed his deep interest in politics when he was young. Despite dissuasion from his immigrant Muslim parents, who told him never to talk about politics again after the 9/11 attack, he carried on and joined the 2006 immigrant rights protest when he was a freshman in high school. Since then, Shahid became actively involved in local activist work as a volunteer on issues like mass incarceration and mass deportation, joined the Bernie Sanders team, and co-founded AllOfUs, an American progressive political action committee. The communications director of Justice Democrats also played a crucial role in getting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez elected as a U.S. Representative. Dissent Magazine describes Shahid as “a pragmatic thinker who sees the limits of the U.S. electoral system while maintaining that progressive political transformation requires working within it.”

 

47. SARA BENINCASA @SaraJBenincasa (110.5K)

 

 

Professional writer, stand-up comedian, and actress, Sara Benincasa is one of the rising political influencers worth following today. She is an activist who advocates for diversity and inclusion, particularly in the LGBTQ community. In her interview with The Advocate, Benincasa stressed the importance of getting involved in local activism and encouraged people to take care of themselves and be present in their community. She believes that the ideal for an inclusive and diverse society is to care about people who aren’t related to you, who don’t look like you, who don’t necessarily speak the same language as you, or have the same ethnic/religious/social background.

 

48. MINDY FINN @mindyfinn 82.3K Followers

 

 

Mindy Finn is a digital media expert and political and technology consultant, who worked as a digital strategist for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Best known for championing women’s rights, she co-founded the organizations Stand Up Republic and Empowered Women. Finn, who has plenty of achievements up her sleeves, was named one of the “50 Politicos to Watch” by Politico in 2011. Business Insider included her in their list of “the 50 hottest people in online politics” in 2013 for her political and advocacy work on Twitter, playing a key role in making the social network the go-to social media platform in the political sphere. She is currently considered one of the top political influencers in 2022.

 

49. STEVE BENEN @stevebenen (53.5K)

 

 

Steve Benen is an Emmy Award-winning producer of “The Rachel Maddow Show”, curator of the MaddowBlog, and political writer. Benen has been a prominent voice in American political commentary, thus The Atlantic named him as “one of the top 50 most influential political commentators in the United States” in 2009.  He has contributed to various political blogs, newspapers, and other national media outlets. He’s also the bestselling author of “The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.”

 

50. DUNCAN BOWEN BLACK @Atrios (44.4K)

 

 

Another top political influencer, better known by his pseudonym Atrios, Duncan Bowen Black, is an American blogger who has been listed as a noteworthy political blogger by Marquis Who’s Who. His popular weblog Eschaton generally features short entries on a variety of topics ranging from policy commentary to breaking news and links. As an economics expert, Black was a regular guest on Air America Radio’s The Majority. He is also a regular commentator on Sam Seder’s internet radio (Majority.fm) Majority Report and an op-ed contributor to USA Today.

 

50 TOP POLITICAL INFLUENCERS IN 2023- FAQ