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Former Ohio congressional candidate lands 2024 DNC speaking slot thanks to social-media influence [1]

['Jeremy Pelzer', 'Jpelzer Cleveland.Com']

Date: 2024-08-21 20:30:50.833000+00:00

CHICAGO—In 2018, John Russell was a Central Ohio farmer who unsuccessfully ran for Congress.

But on Thursday, he’ll be speaking at the Democratic National Convention, using the same podium as Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris.

Russell is one of five social-media influencers given a coveted DNC speaking slot, which is usually awarded to members of Congress, prominent party leaders, and celebrities, according to the New York Times.

A self-described “dirtbag journalist,” Russell – who now lives in West Virginia – has hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social-media platforms. Russell, who now sports a mullet and mustache, posts about a variety of topics, from labor issues to last year’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

His DNC speech on Thursday is expected to center on “energizing young voters and encouraging their participation in the electoral process,” according to Newsweek.

In 2016, Russell unsuccessfully ran for an Ohio House seat in Delaware and Knox counties, losing to Republican Rick Carfagna. Two years later, he ran in both a special election and the regular election for Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, losing in the Democratic primary both times to Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Connor.

Russell’s DNC appearance is part of an effort by national Democrats to reach voters who get their news from social media, rather than traditional media outlets, according to the New York Times. According to the Pew Research Center, about one-third of Americans younger than 30 regularly get news from TikTok, and their trust in information from social media is now almost the same as their trust in national news outlets.

Besides Russell, the four other influencers given a DNC speaking slot are Carlos Eduardo Espina, Deja Foxx, Olivia Julianna and Nabela Noor, according to the Times.

Two other DNC speakers are from Ohio: U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Columbus spoke on Monday, and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval is scheduled to give a speech Wednesday evening.

Jeremy Pelzer covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

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[1] Url: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/08/former-ohio-congressional-candidate-lands-dnc-speaking-slot-thanks-to-social-media-influence.html?outputType=amp

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