Democrats are desperate to gain more Congressional seats during the 2026 midterm elections, and they’re hoping that strong alliances with top creators can guide them down the path to victory. On February 11, the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee (SCC) will host a creator summit at the U.S. Capitol in D.C.
According to Scalable, the invite list for the summit will include content creators, independent journalists, and new media voices. “It is imperative that Democrats find ways to communicate authentically and effectively to audiences where they are, and engaging with online creators and independent media is an essential part of doing just that,” SCC Staff Director Jeff Giertz said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming some of the most exciting creators and independent media to the US Capitol next month.”
Once upon a time, the Democrats were the U.S. political party with the strongest ties to digital creators. President Obama’s live-streamed conversations with YouTube stars gave younger generations unprecedented access to the Oval Office. President Biden continued his former boss’ effort when he invited creators to join him at a 2024 White House summit.
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Throughout the 2024 election cycle, however, Republicans gained ground on their lefty foes in the digital arena. As Biden courted TikTok tastemakers, his Senate colleagues sought to ban the platform that supports thousands of creator careers. As Democrats struggled to craft a consistent message, the Trump team turned the “influencer election” on its head. The current president’s conversations with influencers like Theo Von and Nelk helped him gain support from Gen Z and ultimately reclaim the White House.
Since November 2024, Democrats have acknowledged mistakes related to creator outreach while also attempting to find a fresh start. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has held “creator briefings” related to key issues, and Biden-era Director of Digital Strategy Christian Tom has launched AND Media to support creators whose political views lean to the left.
Zohran Mamdani‘s mayoral win in New York City proved that Democratic politicians could create Trump-style groundswells by harnessing the power of social media. Three weeks after Mamdani started his new job, mainstream Democrats have made their next move. The Capitol Hill summit will address concerns that the Dems are “losing hold of culture,” as Kamala Harris’ Deputy Campaign Manager, Rob Flaherty, admitted in a post-election retrospective.
The chair of the SCC, Cory Booker (D-NJ), has already collaborated with creators like Doctor Mike. Now, he and SCC vice chair Tina Smith (D-MN) are helping their colleagues become more comfortable with social media campaigning. Booker has already celebrated his political party’s massive digital engagement uptick between 2024 and 2025.
The upcoming summit will show creators what the left wing’s digital presence looks like while also identifying opportunities for further growth. One thing’s for sure: Getting face time with creators is a better way to reach Gen Z than trying to buy influence.
