A superhero actress has brought together famous “geeks” to rally around presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Another heartthrob actor surprised Angela Alsobrooks, who is running for the US Senate. And a fashion designer created a purple pantsuit that Oprah wore while rallying voters who voted for Harris at the Democratic National Convention.

Big stars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Elon Musk and Kanye West dominated the celebrity news this election season. However, many names with Maryland connections also joined the political struggle.

Political analysts say candidates across the spectrum use celebrities every election season to capture voters’ attention and highlight or draw attention to an issue.

But while these endorsements can work to attract the attention of people who are not typically involved in the political process, it is not always clear how much they can influence elections. And not all celebrities carry the same weight. Take Oprah and Beyoncé, for example.

“Oprah, she goes above and beyond. “He is an across-the-board figure that people like and trust,” said Mileah Kromer, director of the UMBC Institute of Politics. “There’s celebrity and there’s Beyoncé celebrity. “There are some people who reach the stratosphere, and they are different from others.”

The impact of a celebrity endorsement depends more on voters than the celebrity’s popularity, says Malcolm Drewery, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Morgan State University.

Factors such as voters’ education level and how familiar they are with the issues can affect the influence of celebrities, Drewery said, adding that causes and issues are traditionally where celebrities can be most influential. In some cases, a celebrity’s popularity can influence opinion, he said.

“If Beyoncé said that, maybe they’d pay more attention to it,” Drewery said.

Others may be turned off by a celebrity suddenly weighing in on an issue. This is where a local celebrity may have more say than a big name.

“If the daytime actor is talking about a particular cause and encouraging people to do something, that carries more weight than if someone just jumped on board. A lot of people ask, ‘Where were you when this happened?’ adopts the mentality. said Drewery.

The average voter may be more familiar with a particular celebrity than a politician’s stance on policies.

“More people probably know that Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law“said Kromer. “I wish it were otherwise, but what are you going to do? People like what they like.”

Some celebrities have faced backlash for expressing their political views. Jane Fonda was blacklisted for her anti-Vietnam War stance; Kromer notes that Lebron James and other Black athletes were told to “shut up and dribble” during the Black Lives Matter movement, and that Colin Kaepernick became a polarized figure after kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality.

Others have been successful, too, says Drewery, citing celebrities who joined the world hunger movement in the ’80s and protested the apartheid regime in South Africa.

We scoured social media profiles, television appearances and interviews in other publications to tell you how celebrities with Maryland ties carry weight this election cycle.

Wanda Sykes

The actor and comedian, who grew up in Gambrills, said: “Appearance” On September 26, 2024, he explained why he supported Harris’ presidential bid. She is also a member of Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Bishme Cromartie

The “Project Runway All Stars” winner and Baltimore native confirmed his support for Harris in a recent Baltimore Banner interview. He went so far as to say he wanted to design clothes for Harris. “President Harris.”

Maggie Rogers

The singer-songwriter joined Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on the campaign trail in the battleground state. Michigan. There, the Easton native performed renditions of five of her songs, kicking off with the opener “I’ve Been Loving You for a Long Time.” He closed with “A Different World”.

Christian Siriano

When Harris was confirmed by President Joe Biden as his successor in July, the Annapolis designer took to social media to mention Harris. “It’s such an honor to create suits for you @kamalaharris and I can’t wait to do it again!” she wrote with a heart emoji and the hashtag #kamalaharris.

Siriano, Favorite of Democratic politiciansHe designed a custom workwear set for Harris at the 2023 State of the Union Address, consisting of a fitted blazer in Burgundy and a pair of matching straight-leg trousers.

Mike Rowe

The Emmy Award-winning host confirmed to CNN that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approached him about being his running mate in March. He refused. He has not issued a formal endorsement for either Trump or Harris.

Nicole Ari Parker

The “And Just Like That” actress spent this past weekend knocking on doors for Harris in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

“We can’t win without Pennsylvania, we can’t win Pennsylvania without Philly, and we can’t win Philly without West Philly,” the Baltimore native wrote in his latest Instagram post, ending the post with a five-fist punch. Shades of the words LET’S GO!!!!!! and #KamalaHarris2024

Julie Bowen

The “Modern Family” star, who is originally from Baltimore County, has been pretty quiet about her political views on social media. But on Aug. 7, she posted a video of Tim Walz strolling through the Minnesota State Fair with his daughter. The video includes banter between the two discussing vegetarianism.

“Well, I’m in love with this thing…”

It’s not exactly an endorsement, but it caught the ire of one commenter: “Hollywood. “Detached from society.”

Michael Ealy

The University of Maryland, College Park graduate and Maryland-raised actor was flashing those striking blue eyes to surprise Angela Alsobrooks in Baltimore last weekend. He also actively encouraged Americans to register to vote. PSA. Ealy, wearing a “Hotties for Harris ’24” sweatshirt, released a promotional video for Harris. instagram He reminded his 1.3 million followers on Sunday that the next president will have the potential to nominate at least three Supreme Court justices. He also warned that Trump has “unchecked power.”

King of ISIS

Behind Harris is the Prince George’s County native, who made history as the first transgender contestant on “America’s Next Top Model” and later appeared as a series regular on the Amazon romantic comedy series “With Love.” On Sept. 10, King broke a one-year sabbatical from social media platform

Amy Schumer

The Towson-educated actress and comedian wasted no time in making her support for Harris known.

“Everything is fine @kamalaharris LFG! she wrote in an Instagram post on July 21 with a portrait of Harris wearing a white-cream jacket and perched on a chair. (Schumer comes from a political family, being the nephew of Senator Majority Leader Charles “Chuck” Schumer.

Anne Bailey

Miss Maryland USA peppered her Instagram stories with Harris endorsements and events throughout the election cycle. Earlier this month, she posted a photo of herself with a mail ballot with the hashtags #WeGoBack #WithHer #Vote and another post in which she left her mail ballot in a mailbox at the beginning of the early voting period.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The actress, who grew up in Montgomery County, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris. At the same time, he made his mark on social media and television programs by confessing himself. Support for Harris. The “Veep” star said Harris is nothing like her Emmy-winning character, Selina Meyer.

Louis-Dreyfus, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert“There may be another candidate in the race,” he adds, live from the Democratic National Convention.’

Wendy Osefo

Some cast members from “Real Housewives of Potomac” have publicly stated their support for Harris. But Osefo may be the most vocal. She attended the Democratic National Convention in August and filled her Instagram account with photos and posts from the event. A political analyst in his own right, Osefo has also appeared on various television programs imparting his political expertise on the 2024 elections.

Lynda Carter

The actress of “Wonder Woman” fame, who lives in Potomac, hosted an online fundraiser called “Geeks & Nerds for Harris” in September with other celebrities including television personality Bill Nye, “Star Trek” actors LeVar Burton and Anthony Rapp, and “Star Wars” hosted. ” actor Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker).

On August 5, Carter posted the following endorsement for Harris on We have a fighting chance. We won’t be back. #HarrisForWomen