In fiercely competitive Democratic Senate race, social media influencers increasingly drive the conversation

Both Crockett and Talarico have appeared numerous times in videos with various Democratic content creators. Talarico, for instance, had previously recorded a video interview with Thompson, the creator who later accused him of the “mediocre Black man” remark.

But content creators are not journalists, Jones, the Democratic strategist, noted.

“There are no codes of ethics that you as a member of the press and free media abide by,” he said. “These folks are not beholden to these things, so they can get out and use whatever four letter words they can get out and say.”

The Democratic political influencer economy, especially in Texas, is still in its adolescence. Campaigns are still figuring out the kinds of relationships they should have with different creators.