U.S. Senators' Tweets: The Tweets of Single-Minded Seekers of Donations

• In Event: Congressional Fundraising: Tactics and Consequences

Abstract

Twitter has emerged as an indispensable tool for U.S. senators, serving as a means of constant connection to their constituents and as a platform for exposure to a national audience. In this study we investigate the growing trend of senators presenting themselves as national policy experts on Twitter. We hypothesize that this positioning facilitates dual objectives related to campaign fundraising: energizing in-state donors and attracting out-of-state donors who share a vested interest in the discussed policy issues. The central theory posits that a national policy emphasis, while resonating with local constituents, can also garner support from a broader audience beyond state borders. Using a dataset of all U.S. senators’ tweets from 2010 (reflecting Twitter's rise in popularity) to March 2023, we systematically categorize each tweet as a national policy tweet or other to assess the relationship between the frequency of such tweets and shifts in campaign donation sources - both in-state and out-of-state. In this research, we seek to shed light on the nuanced digital strategies employed by U.S senators to increase their prospect of reelection.

Authors

• Stephanie Ramsey Davis, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Annelise Russell, University of Kentucky