The stakes are getting higher in the Democratic presidential race. Several candidates have ended their campaigns, and only 10 of the 20 who remain qualified for the third round of debates on Sept. 12. For those who made the cut, it’s another chance to differentiate themselves on a debate stage among a crowded field. The rest will have to find other ways to spread their message.
For most of the presidential hopefuls, social media has been the preferred platform for announcing policy proposals and clarifying positions. Since the beginning of 2019, the candidates—past and present—have sent about 44,000 tweets—and about half of them mentioned at least one major campaign issue, according to a Bloomberg analysis of their Twitter posts.
After shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, several candidates have focused their campaigns on the issue of gun control. Former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke, whose district included El Paso, as well as former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are among the candidates with the biggest increase in tweets mentioning gun control.