so which 2028 Dem hopeful is the most popular on socials?
tracking 15 Dems who have signaled an interest in running on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
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Today, I am returning to my FWIW roots because I realized I miss making charts… and there’s nothing stopping me from making any charts that I find interesting!
Despite the fact that we are 942 days away from the next presidential election, articles about the possible 2028 Dem hopefuls abound. I wanted to check out their followings on their personal/campaign accounts on the platforms that I feel are the most impactful these days – that is, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Here is the list that I considered (built off of this and this and my own news-warped brain). I also added our lovely Democratic perennials (Sens. Sanders, Warren, and Booker) since it’s always worth keeping them in mind.
A few disclaimers: first, I collected this data from the respective platforms today (Friday, April 10, 2026). Depending on when you’re reading this, these numbers will shift! Second, the totals chart does not account for duplicate followers i.e., those who follow Kamala Harris on both Instagram and TikTok. Third, I counted the Team Pritzker and Team Moore TikTok accounts as personal/campaign accounts. And fourth, before I get the comments/emails, I am in no way saying that this is definite proof of who is the strongest potential candidate. Just interesting and, yes, potentially impactful data points!
Here’s how things shook out:
And now for the grand totals… 🥁🥁🥁
A couple of random observations and thoughts:
First, I think Facebook is once again going to be invaluable this cycle, especially for $$$ – in other words, she’s baaaaack. So keep an eye on who keeps it moving on Facebook.
Second, it looks like Ro Khanna’s media blitz, talk straight and talk to everyone strategy is working – or, at least, it’s putting him in much closer proximity to the big players on socials than he otherwise would have been.
Third, I’m not saying it didn’t make me laugh… but I am saying Rahm Emanuel might want to consider a new profile picture if he’s going to run for president.
That’s all for now – see you next week!