The 9 best presidential candidate Instagram accounts
With a new election comes new scrutiny of a pivotal campaign tool: the candidate's Insta feed.
Sure, Instagram may not make or break your candidacy, but quality social content can definitely help build support. It's a hard line to walk. You've got to be informative, engaging, and genuine, even though everyone knows you're there to sell yourself to voters. And not everyone pulls it off to great effect.
There are so many candidates running -- over two dozen at last count -- and elected officials have campaign accounts separate from their in-office accounts. Some are pretty blah, whether they just don't post much (John Delaney), are filled with boring screenshots of tweets (Tulsi Gabbard), or just belong to Bill de Blasio. But we've cut through the mess to bring you the top 2020 candidate Instagram accounts, ranked.
9. Andrew Yang
The "Meme Candidate," Yang knows his target demo, and he occasionally shares fan art and delightfully corny videos like this one celebrating the Star Wars Holiday May 4th. If anything, Yang could share even more supporter-oriented content given his grassroots support.
8. Beto O'Rourke
When he livestreamed his dental check-up on Instagram back in January 2019, O'Rourke really set the bar high. But, like the rest of his candidacy thus far, it's been a bit of a bumpy road. He's failed to live up to the buzz of that deep clean, but once you get over the hype, it's a pretty earnest, affable Instagram feed. It could use more photos of Beto standing on things, but it does include several key components of a good feed: quality animal and baby content.
7. Bernie Sanders
Ah, yes, Bernie. Besides Joe Biden, he's the one candidate on this particular list that's been through this rodeo before. And his Instagram shows that with a healthy mix of Bernie, supporters, platforms, and puppies.
6. Cory Booker
Like Beto, Booker keeps things loose on his Instagram feed, which is a good thing. Though he does occasionally falls into the "screenshot of a tweet" trap. More original content, please, especially like this Star Wars Day throwback.
5. Pete Buttigieg
While Pete's husband Chasten might be the social media celebrity in the Buttigieg household, Mayor Pete's Instagram feed isn't lacking for its own charm. And, yes, dogs. (Are you sensing a theme?)
4. Wayne Messam
At 44, Messam is one of the youngest 2020 candidates and his Instagram reflects his understanding of the content your average Instagrammer shares. There are plenty of selfies, throwback photos to his days as an athlete, and, yes, shirtless workout photos that hit that thirst trap sweet spot. Can you top an 8:33 mile, Bernie?
3. Kamala Harris
The California Senator's account is an effective tool for her highlighting her own campaign, but she also uses her Instagram to tell the stories of many other people, including the record number of black women expected to graduate from West Point in 2019 and Bayard Rustin, a key Civil Rights figure who faced additional obstacles because he was gay.
2. Jay Inslee
While Inslee, who seems to be running primarily on a "fight climate change" platform, may not be among the front-runners, he has a delightfully entertaining account that includes some of his stellar artwork.
But he also proves he has a sense of humor by doing things like sharing a headline from The Onion that's about him.
It's a small thing, sure, but one that keeps his Insta feed livelier -- and more human -- than other candidates.
1. Elizabeth Warren
Yes, there was the infamous beer video, but, come on, let her live. Beer is good, beer shaming is bad. Her campaign account now features the usual selfies with supporters and graphics outlining her proposals, but what sets it apart is Bailey, the Warren family dog.
LOOK AT THIS DOG.
LOOK AT HIM, I SAY.
If you're thinking, "Wait, a dog is what makes this the best Instagram account from a potential president?" First of all, yes. Second of all, you're not paying enough attention to the rest of the wretched hellscape that is social media in the Year of Our Lord (Bailey) 2019.
Bailey for emperor of the universe.
Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
