Hoyer Announces Winners of 2017 Member Online All-Star Competition

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) announced the winners of the 2017 Member Online All-Star Competition today. See below for the list of Members, Committees, and Caucuses that have been named 2017 Online All-Stars.

“I’m pleased to announce this year’s Online All-Stars, who led House Democrats in acquiring 645,000 new followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube,” stated Whip Hoyer. “That is well over half a million Americans who will now regularly hear from House Democrats thanks to our collective efforts. I congratulate Reps. Adam Schiff and Anthony Brown on being named MVPs, and Reps. Joe Kennedy and Jamie Raskin for finishing as close runners-up. I thank all of the Members and their staffs for their hard work and innovative efforts over the past three weeks to reach and engage with more Americans online.”

The 2017 MVP, Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28), gained a record 47,732 new followers in part by repeatedly responding forcefully to the latest twists of the Trump Russia saga, challenging Trump directly on Twitter, skillfullyusing humor, conducting a healthcare-focused Facebook Live interview of an impressive young kid with a heart condition, hanging out with Mark Zuckerberg, some creativecross posting, and invoking Michelle Obama's powerful words in response to Trump's vulgar attacks on Mika Brzezinski.

Rep. Joe Kennedy (MA-04) came second place and gained an impressive 42,253 followers in part by arguing passionately for mental health coverage for children, attacking TrumpCare, using self-deprecating humor, participating in a charity run for vets at Fenway, and announcing that he and his wife have a baby on the way. 

Freshman MVP Rep. Anthony Brown (MD-04) gained 8,572 new followers in part by defending LGBTQ members of our military from GOP attacks, defending Net Neutrality, bringing attention to the alarming increase in racial violence, and celebrating National Sunglasses Day. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) came in close second for the Freshman MVP honor with  8,544 followers, only 28 behind Brown. He gained followers in part by questioning Jared Kushner's security clearance, rallying in defense of First Amendment religious freedoms, answering questions from the back of a moving car in a Facebook Live, utilizing #ThrowbackThursday, engaging with #DogTwitter, and using Facebook 360 to show off the beauty of the U.S. Capitol building. 

Committee Democrats and Caucuses also participated in the competition. The the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Oversight & Government Reform Committee Democrats, Judiciary Committee Democrats, and Appropriations Committee Democrats were named 2017 All-Stars. 

Over the coming week, the subcategory finalists and winners will be announced for Most Viral Post, Best Video, Best Infographic, and Best Constituent Services Post. 

This year’s total of over 645,000 new followers for House Democrats on social networks marks another significant increase over the previous year’s totals:

The final scoreboard can be viewed at http://www.democraticwhip.gov/allstar. 
NOTE: Members of Leadership, while included on the live scoreboard, were not counted in determining All-Stars and are not included in the list below. Also, former winners of the MVP trophies, while eligible to be named All-Stars, are ineligible to win the same trophy more than once.