Inside the rise of political creators – and the funding gap shaping the space

Politicians are increasingly bypassing legacy outlets to reach voters through social media creators – reshaping how political messaging travels online.

The trend has become particularly visible in the United States, where lawmakers and advocacy groups are beginning to treat creators less like influencers and more like a new layer of media infrastructure.

That shift was on full display in February, when Senate Democrats hosted a creator summit at the U.S. Capitol, drawing more than 100 digital personalities to meet lawmakers and discuss how policy is communicated online.

For the creators doing that work, however, the economics tell a different story.

Maria Comstock, a political creator, said the difference in funding between political ecosystems was immediately apparent.

“In the months prior to the 2024 election I began working more heavily in the political influencer space,” she told The Daily Influence. “I got outreach from organizations and funders on both the right and the left, and it was immediately evident how much more investment the right had in the new media space.”

Comstock said she ultimately chose to work only with left-leaning organisations because of her personal values, but many of the opportunities available offered little financial stability.

“Most compensation was either well below my standard rate, connection based – ‘you can meet this politician if you make a video’ – or ‘prize’ led – most views, most informative video – from a cohort of creators,” she said.

Political content can also carry commercial trade-offs. Comstock said she did not receive a brand partnership for six months following the 2024 election after publishing political material online.

Although brand deals have returned to their usual pace, Comstock said her political content may still narrow the pool of potential partners. “I assume it still keeps me away from many of the big-name brands,” she added.

Other creators working in the space say the funding imbalance reflects a longer-term strategy gap between political organisations.

Haley Lickstein, a Washington-based creator who produces short-form political explainers on social media, said conservative groups had spent years building infrastructure around digital creators.

“There is a lot of data around how much the right has invested in creating political content creators and developing new talent,” she said.

She pointed to Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy organisation, which has reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars developing creator-led messaging.

“I don’t think it’s that Democrats aren’t investing,” she added. “It’s just that they’re about ten years behind.”

Creators replacing traditional access points

At the same time, creators are increasingly occupying a role once reserved for journalists and broadcasters: direct access to politicians.

Lickstein runs a series called “Haley on the Hill”, where she interviews elected officials in short-form videos designed to explain legislation and current events to younger audiences.

The project began with cold outreach to congressional offices, but she said access has become easier as lawmakers recognise the influence creators hold with online-first audiences.

“I don’t think politicians need to become content creators,” she said. “But they do need to spend time with creators the same way they’ve always spent time doing traditional media hits.”

Since launching the series, Lickstein has interviewed more than 100 members of Congress, discussing everything from proposed legislation to audience-submitted questions.

Online platforms, she said, are where political communication now travels fastest – and Washington is taking note.

"That's where elections are fought and won right now," she said.

A new political media layer

Still, the economics of sustaining that role remain complicated. Many political creators rely on consulting work or partnerships rather than traditional brand sponsorships, which often avoid overtly political content.

Lickstein, for example, supports her work through consulting for progressive advocacy organisations, advising them on how to work with creators and digital media more effectively.

It points to a broader tension in the emerging political creator economy: while demand for this type of content is growing, the financial structures supporting it are still developing.

As political parties and advocacy groups increasingly recognise the power of social media to shape public opinion, attention is shifting from whether creators will play a role in political discourse to who will invest in building the infrastructure around them.

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