SORRY, GOV. Charlie Baker. You may hold the corner office, but you’re only the second most influential voice on Beacon Hill Twitter. First prize goes to the press. In particular, the State House News Service, the indispensable wire service that covers every legislative session, myriad hearings, the governor, Legislature, and generally all things Beacon Hill.
The most gossiped-about item in Massachusetts politics this week is a spreadsheet created by Legislata, a political software company that analyzed the lists of who every member of the Legislature follows on Twitter. Legislata compiled the information to identify the most influential capitol voices.
The political popularity contest finds Baker is followed by 90 percent of lawmakers, and the State House News Service by 92 percent. The only other person to hit 90 percent is Democrat Robert DeLeo, the longest-serving House speaker in state history, who retired from his post after 12 years as at the end of 2020.
That number may make DeLeo’s successor, Speaker Ron Mariano, jealous, since Mariano is followed by just 77 percent of legislators. But that still makes Mariano the sixth most influential Twitter personality, surpassed only by the outspoken Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey (88 percent) and Mariano’s appointed Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (78 percent). With the House and Senate often known for their rivalries, Mariano is tied with Senate President Karen Spilka.
The two legislative leaders are followed closely by former Boston mayor and current US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and by the Massachusetts Democratic Party. (In a state known for one-party dominance, the MassGOP is far down the list, at 619, followed by 20 percent of legislators, while Massachusetts Republican Party chair Jim Lyons ranks 421t and is followed by 28 percent).
The most followed rank-and-file representatives are Reps. Kay Khan, Jay Livingstone, and John Mahoney. On the Senate side, it’s Sen. Eric Lesser.
The most influential reporter is GBH’s Statehouse denizen Mike Deehan, who ranked 15th on the list and is followed by 75 percent of lawmakers. Deehan even beat Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who are both followed by 72 percent of lawmakers. The Boston Globe is the most influential media outlet, ranking 34th with 69 percent of the Legislature following it.
Partisanship clearly plays a role. Healey is followed by 93 percent of Democratic lawmakers, but only 65 percent of Republicans. The Republican Polito is followed by 85 percent of GOP lawmakers but just 71 percent of Democrats. Only 58 percent of Republican lawmakers follow the Globe, compared to 72 percent of Democrats.
To the 57 percent of lawmakers who are likely reading this, those followers of CommonWealth Magazine, thank you for ensuring that we are as influential on Beacon Hill as US Sen. Ed Markey (ranked 125 and 126, respectively). CommonWealth did beat out the MBTA in popularity (which ranked 136) – but that’s generally not too hard to do.