Facing a fractured media landscape and an increasingly skeptical electorate, politicians are turning to podcasts and newsletter platform Substack as direct-to-voter platforms, reshaping how campaigns communicate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race. 

From candidates and party organizations to the State Department, these newsletters and audio platforms are being used to deliver behind-the-scenes insights, candid messages, and unfiltered commentary. This trend highlights a broader shift toward more personal, controlled, and interactive political dialogue.

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Catherine Valentine, Substack’s head of news and politics, said that while conservatives initially dominated the platform, especially after feeling deplatformed from sites like X and Facebook, there’s now a clear shift. 

“Right now, there is a ton of momentum, undeniably, with the Democrats, and specifically with the Democrats who are eyeing 2028,” Valentine said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. 

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who boasts over 394,000 subscribers on the medium, is part of a growing wave of Democratic voices looking to bypass traditional media. Since President Donald Trump’s second term began, Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) have turned to Substack to share updates, analysis, and exclusive content. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have joined the platform, while the Democratic National Committee launched its own newsletter in March, signaling a significant shift in how the party engages with the public.

As of early 2025, Substack has experienced significant growth, boasting over 35 million active subscriptions, with more than 5 million of these being paid subscriptions. The outlet has evolved from a simple newsletter platform into a multifaceted media hub, offering creators tools for email newsletters, podcast hosting and distribution, live audio shows, paid subscriptions, and community engagement, all designed to help build and monetize direct relationships with audiences.

Valentine said the platform’s appeal for politicians comes from its ability to give them lasting control over their audience and message, unlike social media, in which content is fleeting and access to followers is limited.

“Simply the fact that Substack allows people to own your email lists — it’s a game changer,” Valentine explained. “That is the real difference. That is why these politicians are frankly unimpressed with other platforms. Because if you just killed it on TikTok, you still do not own those email addresses. You don’t own those relationships. Someone could watch you once on TikTok and never see you ever again.”

Casey Burgat, the director of the Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, said Substack stands apart from traditional social media by avoiding algorithm-driven content, but it still operates within the attention economy.

“I don’t know if it’s the names of these people that are bringing the audience, or if the audience is bringing the names, but to me, I think politicians are trying to be on the front end of going where people are,” explained Burgat, who has a Substack of his own. “The reality is that they’re going to have to do everything they’ve always been able to do everything they want, to reach people where they are.”

He said politicians are simply expanding their “all of the above” outreach strategy. He said Substack and podcasts aren’t replacing TV ads or direct mail but that they are just becoming another necessary part of the communications toolkit.

“They are still going to pay for TV ads. They are still going to do direct email and literature. But now this is just the next platform,” he said. “I think it would probably say more if they weren’t on it than what it says that they are on it.”

Touted as the first “podcast election,” the 2024 presidential cycle saw both Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris tap into some of the largest podcast audiences. Trump appeared on three of Spotify’s top five most popular shows, including the Joe Rogan Experience, the Shawn Ryan Show, and This Past Weekend with Theo Von. His conversation with Rogan racked up over 46 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, Harris did an interview with Alex Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy, which ranks fifth in Spotify’s podcast lineup.

Since the 2024 election, prominent Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), and Buttigieg, have embraced podcasting as a way to engage voters through in-depth, long-form discussions. Newsom’s podcast, which features a diverse range of guests, has drawn criticism from progressive Democrats for amplifying conservative voices, highlighting tensions within the party. 

Mike Murphy, a prominent Republican political consultant who has a Substack newsletter and weekly podcast called Hacks on Tap that he hosts with Democratic consultant David Axelrod, explained these mediums offer a valuable long-form format in which candidates can express detailed ideas without the constraints of traditional media.

“I mean, Hacks on Tap is just Axelrod and I, now John Heilemann, just blabbing along every week for an hour, an hour and 15 minutes to our hearts’ content, which we find people like because they kind of want the detailed stuff, which you can’t get on CNN, Fox, or MSNBC,” Murphy said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. 

“When you’re writing a Substack essay, and you know Substack has audio content, too, or doing a podcast, you can do topic of the day, but you can also go into other things that may be of interest. So it’s kind of a richer meal of opinion for the consumer,” he added.

Murphy noted that Substack and podcasts offer campaigns a cost-efficient way to reach targeted, engaged audiences and organically amplify their messages without paid advertising.

“The thing about digital media, it’s inherently contagious. You spread something there, it gets picked up, and an idea or content connected to a candidate or campaign spreads organically, at no cost,” he said. 

Jennifer Holdsworth, a Democratic strategist who managed Buttigieg’s bid for DNC chairman, pointed out that building an audience on these platforms is challenging without an existing base.

“Even though these mediums like Substack and other independent avenues are hyperpopular, I’ve also seen consumers sort of pull back on what they’re willing to pay for, and so it’s going to be a little harder to target audiences that way,” Holdsworth explained. “You sort of have to come with a prebuilt audience. It’s going to be much harder to build it from those mediums.”

Holdsworth emphasized that authenticity is crucial for Democrats using long-form platforms such as Substack and podcasts. She said politicians who are naturally adept communicators, such as Buttigieg, can thrive, but when it feels forced, it risks coming across as insincere.

“The biggest thing that voters are sniffing out right now is inauthenticity. And if you have the natural propensity to be able to communicate in this way, then, by all means, lean in. But if you’re trying to make fetch happen, it’s going to be seen as disingenuous and may not necessarily be suited to your communication style,” she said.

She also said the longer format can become a liability, noting Democrats tend to be less forgiving than Republicans when strategies fall flat. 

“I think you saw this in the reaction to Gavin Newsom’s podcast, which was overwhelmingly negative when it began because it seemed that he was trying to force himself into a space rather than utilize a space that already existed and become part of the conversation,” Holdsworth said. 

She credited Newsom for adjusting his approach but said Democrats sometimes struggle to adapt their messaging strategies, especially when new approaches don’t land right away.

“If there’s one piece of advice, you know, I would give to Democrats, it’s that trial and error is OK. Meet the voters where they are and learn from what worked and what didn’t. We just have this propensity to self-flagellate every time something doesn’t work. Republicans don’t do that.”

Despite these challenges, there are clear rewards for those who navigate the space well. Valentine, a former CNN producer and publicist for the Washington Post, noted an unexpected benefit of appearing on Substack: a significant boost in campaign fundraising.

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“I’m hearing that every time politicians join Substack shows that donations pop up across the country, leading to some of the best donation days of their campaigns,” she said, citing conversations with campaign managers.

“That just wouldn’t happen if [the politicians] appeared on prime-time television. So this is such a game changer, and these audiences are so deeply invested that they’re not only listening to what you say, they’re opening up their wallets and they’re going to a different site to donate to,” she said.