Colorado influencers cash in on campaign season
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Political causes and candidates are increasingly paying social media influencers in Colorado to reach voters.
Why it matters: Ahead of November's election, political pitches are popping up alongside food recs and lifestyle content, blurring the lines between opinion, grassroots support and paid promotion.
Driving the news: Backers of the Colorado Connector passenger rail project, namely RTD, used taxpayer money for an August publicity blitz that included paid Instagram and TikTok influencers, Denverite reports.
- It's unclear how much of the $1.3 million media-buying budget went directly to creators.
- The campaign came just before the district put a sales tax measure on November's ballot to help fund the project.
By the numbers: The campaign planned to hire more than 20 influencers to produce 60-plus posts targeting travelers, foodies, athletes and other audiences, per an internal slide deck Denverite obtained.
- Many of the videos Denverite reviewed didn't initially disclose sponsorship, including more than a dozen without any disclosure. Others used labels like "#CoCoPartner."
The intrigue: The campaign ended Aug. 27 — the same day the Front Range Passenger Rail District officially referred the tax measure to voters.
- Colorado law bars government entities from using public money to urge voters to support or oppose a ballot measure.
- Rail district general manager Sal Pace told Denverite the campaign aimed to educate and gather public input, not sway voters.
Flashback: It's not the first time influencers have played a role in local politics.
- Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's Vibrant Denver Bond campaign paid local influencers last year to rally support for the measure, which passed overwhelmingly.
What they're saying: "You really do have people's ear online, especially young people," content creator Haley Metzger told Westword in June.
- "They don't watch CNN, they don't watch the news. But they're on TikTok, they're on Instagram."
The big picture: Colorado's examples reflect a growing national strategy. Political campaigns are increasingly paying influencers to reach voters, often at a lower cost than traditional advertising, The New York Times reports.
Yes, but: Voters may struggle to spot paid political posts — and trace the money behind them when consultants or middlemen handle payments.
- No federal rules specifically require influencers to disclose paid political endorsements, and only a handful of states require it for state and local races, per the Times.
- Colorado isn't one of them.
The bottom line: "It's completely out of control," progressive influencer Suzanne Lambert told the Times. "People don't know what's real anymore."