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‘Their Public Whatever and Their Twitter World’

In July, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and “the Squad” had a public spat over which kind of power was greater: a vote in Congress vs. “their public whatever and their Twitter world.” We compare the social media clout of various lawmakers as of mid-August.

Most Twitter followers in Congress:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

18,054,502 followers

@SenSanders: 8,524,713

@BernieSanders: 9,529,789

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

8,237,615 followers

@ewarren: 2,984,788

@SenWarren: 5,252,827

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)

5,296,801 followers

@RepAOC: 186,691

@AOC: 5,110,110

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)

4,678,854 followers

@SenTedCruz: 1,276,901

@tedcruz: 3,401,953

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

4,474,011 followers

@SenBooker: 140,874

@CoryBooker: 4,333,137

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

3,964,383 followers

@TeamMarco: 29,694

@marcorubio: 3,934,689

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)

3,912,269 followers

@SenKamalaHarris: 868,260

@KamalaHarris: 3,044,009

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

3,091,552 followers

@TeamPelosi: 302,380

@SpeakerPelosi: 2,789,172

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

2,579,025 followers

@DrRandPaul: 68,317

@RandPaul: 2,510,708

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)

2,002,325 followers

@SenatorRomney: 35,714

@MittRomney: 1,966,611

Fewest Twitter followers in Congress:

Rep. Ron Wright (R-Tex.)

2,418 followers

@ron4congress: 677

@RepRonWright: 1,741

Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.)*

1,619 followers

@RepJimBaird

Rep. Fred Keller (R-Pa.)*

545 followers

@RepFredKeller

How Senate leaders compare:

Democratic leadership

31,163,753 followers

Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) @VanHollenForMD: 4,676; @ChrisVanHollen: 152,629

Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) @stabenow: 51,223; @SenStabenow: 107,342

Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) @tammybaldwin: 48,742; @SenatorBaldwin: 111,231

Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) @JoeManchinWV: 11,568; @Sen_JoeManchin: 181,466

Patty Murray (D-Wash.) @MurrayCampaign: 17,966; @PattyMurray: 423,274

Mark Warner (D-Va.) @MarkWarnerVA: 13,434; @MarkWarner: 450,360

Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) @DickDurbin: 18,187; @SenatorDurbin: 616,075

Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) @SenAmyKlobuchar: 31,702; @amyklobuchar: 744,623

Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) @chuckschumer: 28,959; @SenSchumer: 1,858,179

Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) @ewarren: 2,984,788; @SenWarren: 5,252,827

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) @SenSanders: 8,524,713; @BernieSanders: 9,529,789

Republican leadership

1,512,046 followers

Todd Young (R-Ind.) @ToddYoungIN: 8,649; @SenToddYoung: 43,618

Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) @joniernst: 38,401; @SenJoniErnst: 63,173

Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) @RoyBluntMO: 6,672; @RoyBlunt: 106,030

John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)* @SenJohnBarrasso: 117,925

John Thune (R-S.D.) @johnthune: 28,434; @SenJohnThune: 94,713

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) @Team_Mitch: 36,381; @senatemajldr: 968,050

How various House groups compare:

“The Squad”

8,681,513 followers

Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) @RepPressley: 180,204; @AyannaPressley: 440,404

Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) @RepRashida: 183,412; @RashidaTlaib: 709,494

Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) @Ilhan: 402,471; @IlhanMN: 1,468,727

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) @RepAOC: 186,691; @AOC: 5,110,110

Democratic leadership

3,468,015 followers

Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) @benraylujan: 8,037; @repbenraylujan: 22,377

James Clyburn (D-S.C.) @ClyburnSC06: 5,000; @WhipClyburn: 70,937

Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) @StenyHoyer: 5,332; @LeaderHoyer: 117,840

Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) @TeamJeffries: 2,054; @RepJeffries: 144,886

Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) @TeamPelosi: 302,380; @SpeakerPelosi: 2,789,172

Freedom Caucus

(31 members)

2,404,124 followers

Republican leadership

908,765 followers

Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) @Palmer4Alabama: 2,428; @USRepGaryPalmer: 16,689

Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) @RepLizCheney: 24,811; @Liz_Cheney: 104,882

Steve Scalise (R-La.) @GeauxScalise: 49,862; @SteveScalise: 318,523

Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) @kevinomccarthy: 55,081; @GOPLeader: 336,489

Only verified accounts and accounts of voting members were counted; Freedom Caucus membership as of June via Ballotpedia; *second account not verified