The Age of the Social Media Politician: Not All That Glitters Is Gold

The Democratic Party is at an inflection point. We have too many octogenarians in office and not nearly enough Millennials or Gen Zers. For a party whose largest voting bloc consists of these two generations, you’d think we’d have more candidates who reflect that reality.

We’ve seen young leaders break through and lead effectively on the national stage — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Jon Ossoff, Rep. Maxwell Frost, Rep. Greg Casar, Rep. Summer Lee, to name a few.

Thanks for reading By the Ballot! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Subscribed

But not all young candidates are ready to lead — and their behavior on the campaign trail can actively damage how young people are perceived in politics. Older generations already expect us to act entitled, arrogant, or out of touch. So when a candidate lives up to that stereotype, it doesn’t just affect them — it sets youth representation back.

A few weeks ago, Garrett Readling and I wrote: “Our party has to learn: going viral doesn’t make someone an effective messenger or strategist.” We need candidates who do more than look good on paper or deliver the right buzzwords. We need people who aren’t just climbing to the next rung or chasing another title. We need leaders who are authentic and actually do the work — not just post like they are.

A candidate’s viability isn’t about their identity, how they look, how old they are, or where they’re from. It’s about how they lead, how they treat people, what they stand for, and whether they show up with integrity.

That goes double for candidates. And no campaign illustrates this more than Deja Foxx’s recent run for Congress in Arizona’s 7th District.

What Looks Good on Paper Doesn’t Always Play in Real Life

I first saw Deja Foxx speak at the 2024 DNC Convention in Chicago — from the Content Creator stage, no less — directly in front of the Virginia delegation. Her remarks focused on why we needed to elect Kamala Harris to fight for young people, and while I agreed with the goal, the speech felt oddly detached. It seemed like we were supposed to already know who she was. And for someone billed as a youth voice, it would've been nice to hear more of her own story and substance.

(And speaking of authenticity — it was hard not to notice she spoke while standing right next to Aaron Parnas, a figure who’s faced criticism for rebranding others’ work as his own.)

When I looked up Deja, her résumé was impressive: Columbia graduate, abortion rights organizer in Arizona, service in the Office of the Vice President, a major social media following. On paper, she had it all. So her decision to run for the seat formerly held by the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva wasn’t surprising.

But as we’ve said before — paper only goes so far. When the rubber meets the road, authenticity, clarity, and follow-through matter most.

Foxx is far from the only young candidate to run into these issues — she’s just the most recent. And if we want youth candidates to succeed in the long term, we need to learn from her missteps.

Saying a Lot Without Saying Anything

Everyone loves a good underdog story. Rising from poverty to the national stage? That’s compelling. But if that’s all you talk about — without connecting it to specific policy or a clear agenda — it feels hollow.

In this clip of Foxx seemingly doing her best Kamala Harris impression (with sympathetic affect in speech, furrowed brow, and nodding to emphasize a point), Foxx delivers a moving personal story and declares, “Arizonans deserve a fighter.” But… how? What policies will she champion? What’s her legislative vision? What kind of fighter is she?

Voters can tell when a candidate doesn’t have a plan — or worse, when they’re avoiding policy to dodge criticism. When everything sounds poll-tested, sanitized, and consultant-approved, people tune out.

Don’t Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand is Doing.

Your private life is yours. But if your public rhetoric doesn’t align with what you post, people notice.

Foxx talked about how she and her generation are struggling financially because of current leadership — while also posting about the Prada show and fine dining in Milan. No one’s saying she has to live like a monk to be relatable. But when the message and the image don’t match, it undermines your credibility.

As critics have said about certain candidates: “Talk like Bernie. Live like Hillary.” It’s not necessarily wrong or immoral — it just raises eyebrows when you criticize the system while mirroring its excesses.

Personally, I know I come from privilege. But I’m honest about that. And my drive to serve comes from wanting everyone to have the same chances I had. That’s how we build trust — through honesty, not by crafting a persona.

Words Matter — But Actions Matter More

Our generation is tired of politicians who promise the world and deliver crumbs. So when someone says, “I’m not a politician, I’m a fighter,” we expect them to actually fight.

But on election night, as Foxx's defeat became likely, the facade cracked:

• She said she’d be available for hard questions — then dodged reporters.
  
  

• She said her campaign was bigger than herself and was about her supporters — but Zoomed into her own watch party from just a few feet away.
  
  

• She called for respect and unity — but refused to concede immediately.
  
  

If you can’t follow through on the basics of your campaign, how will you follow through in office?

How You Treat Opponents — and Supporters — Matters

Losing sucks. I’ve been on those campaigns. But primaries are about more than one person — they’re about the direction of the party while general elections are about the direction of the district. So when a losing candidate refuses to concede or unify, it sends a damaging message.

It calls back to State Senator Danica Roem after she beat former Republican Delegate Bob Marshall, who spent the entirety of his campaign maligning her, misgendering her, and using transphobic tropes to hurt her candidacy. You would expect her to be viscerally angry and lash out against him and those who supported him. But Danica Roem had only the classiest response:

“I don’t attack my constituents — and Bob Marshall is my constituent now.”

What’s worse is when you don’t do that for your own people.

Foxx Zooming into her watch party instead of immediately addressing the people who knocked doors for her was a bad look. Even if she later showed up, the moment was tainted. These people sacrificed for her. They deserved better.

Authenticity isn’t about perfection. It’s about being real, showing up, and treating people with respect — win or lose.

The Stakes Are Bigger Than One Race

Deja Foxx ran against the old guard. That’s admirable. But when you reinforce the stereotypes older generations hold about us — that we’re self-centered, performative, and unserious — it doesn’t just hurt your campaign. It hurts all of us.

It opens us up to criticisms like Adelita Grijalva lodged:

"This campaign is about the importance of giving voice to this community. It was not about an individual. It was not about social media likes. It was about knocking on doors face-to-face with community members."

A clear call out and shut down of Foxx’s campaign.

This isn’t a hit piece. It’s not dancing on the grave of a failed campaign. It’s a plea. A call to every young person under 35 who wants to run for office: learn from this.

I believe Deja Foxx still has the potential to be a great candidate and leader. But something got in the way. And we have to rise above that.

We have to be better.

We have to be more than the online version of ourselves.

We have to be prepared, authentic, and real.

We have to give straight answers to hard questions.

We have to lead — even in defeat.

Because if we don’t, we’ll continue to be locked out of the rooms where change happens.

And progress can’t afford to wait.

TL;DR:

✅ Young candidates can energize politics — but not all are ready to lead.
Some reinforce the very stereotypes that make it harder for young people to be taken seriously in office.

✅ Authenticity matters more than ambition.
It’s not enough to have a polished résumé or go viral on social media. Voters want candidates who are clear about their policies, consistent in their message, and real in how they show up.

✅ Deja Foxx’s campaign is a cautionary tale.
Despite an impressive background, her lack of clarity, performative messaging, and poor handling of election night raised red flags about her readiness and sincerity.

✅ How you lose matters.
Refusing to concede, Zooming into your own watch party, and distancing yourself from your supporters sends the wrong message — especially when you're supposed to be the face of a movement.

✅ Young candidates need to lead by example.
We don’t need perfection, but we do need follow-through, honesty, and respect — especially in defeat. Because every misstep reflects on all of us.

👉 If we want youth representation to be taken seriously, we have to do more than look good on paper — we have to act like the leaders we say we are.

Thanks for reading By the Ballot! Please remember to Like, Share, and Subscribe so we can continue to grow our audience!

Subscribed