Building the New Media Infrastructure: Why the DNC is Investing in Thousands of Creators to Win in 2026 and Beyond
Hi folks,
My name is Matt Rein, and as the DNC’s Influencer and Creative Partnerships Director, I am working full-time to partner with influencers. My job is to work with content creators online to carry Democratic messaging across the new media landscape.
This work has never been more important than it is today.
In a critical election year like 2026, we are working around the clock to build our online presence and to engage and inform supporters online. Keep reading to learn more about what my work entails, why it is so important to invest in the creator space, and how we’re building online infrastructure to win big in 2026, 2028, and beyond.
Matt speaking at The White House in the Youth Communities in Action forum in 2023.
Transforming Our Media Strategy for 2026 and Beyond
The American media landscape has shifted beneath our feet. Today, 58% of Americans prefer to get their news from digital devices — surpassing TV, radio, and print combined. Perhaps even more critical for our future: one-in-five Americans, and nearly 40% of adults under 30 (my generation), now rely on social media creators for their political news.
The DNC is partnering with these exact creators who are speaking to millions of Americans every day. Through our Influencer and Creative Partnerships program, we have built a robust creator network designed to counter a massive and well-funded right-wing media machine. We are focused on relationship-driven advocacy that will pay dividends for this election cycle, in 2028, and far into the future.
Matt holding a roundtable with creators and Chair Ken Martin at the DNC meeting in Los Angeles, California
By the Numbers: Our Impact and Reach
Since our program’s revitalization in mid-2025, the growth has been exponential. We began with just 25 creators; today, we manage a flagship messaging group of 550 creators with a cumulative following of over 75 million.
Strategic Successes on the Ground
Our program is rooted in turning online messaging into real-world advocacy and success. In Texas, we sent ten local creators to cover redistricting hearings, resulting in over 1 million views of content that exposed Texas GOP efforts to silence voters. We have hosted 25 sponsored events, ranging from a Latino creator roundtable in Los Angeles to high-level creator briefings with leaders like Senator Ruben Gallego and Attorney General Eric Holder.
We are also identifying and elevating the next generation of voices. We recently hosted creator Carlos Eduardo Espina at our DNC Meeting in New Orleans. Carlos spoke to the importance of reaching people in his community where they are in order to help get our message out to voters.
Ultimately, when we treat creators as on-the-ground partners rather than just megaphones, when we give them a seat at the table, when we invest in them on a personal and professional level, we achieve far greater success. And that is exactly what we’re doing.
Matt with creator Mrs. Frazzled (center) and Vice President Kamala Harris (right) at the DNC meeting in Los Angeles, California
The Road to 10,000 (and more!)
While our progress is significant, we are still lagging behind the infrastructure that the right has built over decades. Our goal by the end of November 2026 is ambitious: to identify and engage 10,000 creators across many different niches, from politics and news to lifestyle and sports. We want to ensure that every Democratic candidate and state party has a creator network ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
To get there, we are focused on four core pillars:
Genuine Relationships: Building long-term partnerships with creators and partners.
Driving Narrative: Providing daily clips and guidance to ensure our values are heard online.
Intentional Collaboration: Connecting creators directly with the elected officials making the important decisions.
Winning Elections: Deploying these resources to help state parties and committees succeed in the midterms.
Matt with political content creators Adam Mockler (left) and Chris Mowrey (right)
Our program is proof that when we invest in modern media, we win. We are building a sustainable, permanent infrastructure that will carry the Democratic message long after any single election cycle ends.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to scale this critical work.
Sincerely,
Matt Rein
Influencer and Creative Partnerships Director
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As the NY Times noted today, Democratic leaders still need to come up with an overall vision -- their own version of the ghastly Project 2025 -- of how they intend to move this country forward. A laundry list of well-worn liberal ideas won't work. Until then, working "with content creators online to carry Democratic messaging across the new media landscape" because the party does not have a well-honed message. It's the leading reason why the Democratic party is no more liked than the GOP.
Very glad to see there is real substance and event coverage going on here, not just blind-faith messaging.