Oprah, John Legend and More Celebs Stump for Midterm Candidates

Election Day on November 8 is approaching as this year's midterm races come to a head, and a number of midterm prospects have received endorsements from some big stars this election cycle, including Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Harry Styles and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

When it comes to celebrity endorsements, Republican media consultant and CNN commentator Alice Stewart said that they sometimes can go completely unnoticed.

"I think celebrity and high-profile endorsements are kind of like the tree that falls in the forest," Stewart told Newsweek. "Does anybody really hear it? But if they shake and rattle the other trees, they absolutely do hear it."

"If the celebrity really wants to make a difference, and many of them have, and I think that's tremendous when they are so passionate and involved in politics, to really make a difference, you have to talk the talk and walk the walk and really follow through and motivate voters to get out," Stewart said.

She added that it's no secret Democratic candidates tend to have more support from figures in Hollywood, but "Republicans typically tend to rely on high-profile conservative political figures" for endorsements.

Regardless, Stewart said, "The most important thing of any endorsement is to put your name on the line and put both feet in, and really motivate voters to get out and vote."

Democratic strategist Colin Strother told Newsweek that with current technology, endorsements by celebrities are now so much more impactful as well. "It'll be really interesting to see this cycle and how that translates over, but I think it's gonna be more impactful than it has been in the past due to kind of the Tik Tok culture that we're in, where we have tens of millions of Americans who spend hours a day on average seeking out the opinions and expressions of strangers," Strother said.

For any celebrity, Strother said, "If they're really dedicated to it, and they really commit themselves to the success of that candidacy, then it can be very impactful, especially at smaller levels."

Below is a list of some of the celebrity endorsements this year for the midterm elections:

1. Harry Styles, Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves for Beto O'Rourke

The Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate has received a number of celebrity endorsements, including a show of support from one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

"Fine Line" singer and Don't Worry Darling actor Harry Styles flashed a sticker on his guitar at a show in Austin earlier this month that read "BETO FOR TEXAS," showing it off for his audience—with O'Rourke himself among them.

Videos of the moment circulated online.

O'Rourke also received support from country legend Willie Nelson, who played at a free "Vote 'Em Out" rally in Austin at the beginning of October for O'Rourke. The O'Rourke campaign claimed that over 5,000 people attended on October 2, and Nelson played several songs, including "Vote 'Em Out."

The Texas candidate has also received support from country singer and Texas native Kacey Musgraves, who was performing at Austin City Limits Music Festival last week when she invited O'Rourke onto the stage with her.

"Honestly, I could use a drink," she said into the mic, facing the crowd. "Is there any beer or anything out there?"

O'Rourke then produced a beer for her, and she sipped it loudly onstage while the crowd began a "Beto!" chant.

2. John Legend for Candidates in AZ, CA, FL, IA and More

Singer John Legend has been known to endorse a number of candidates for numerous states, and this year he shared several of his favorite midterm prospects on Twitter.

Legend first highlighted Arizona's Maricopa County attorney candidate, Julie Gunnigle, writing, "Julie Gunnigle is running to become the next county attorney and she has promised not to prosecute abortion cases if elected, #NotNowNotEver."

He then endorsed Alameda County, California, district attorney candidate Pamela Price. "Pamela Price is running to lead the DA office and is a courageous civil rights attorney committed to ending the criminalization of mental illness, addiction and homelessness," Legend tweeted.

In addition to these, Legend also highlighted Florida's Pinellas and Pasco counties state attorney candidate Allison Miller; Kimberly Graham for county attorney in Polk County, Iowa; Rahsaan Hall for district attorney in Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Mary Moriarty for county attorney in Hennepin County, Minnesota; Wesley Bell for prosecuting attorney in St. Louis; Joe Gonzales for district attorney in Bexar County, Texas; John Creuzot for district attorney in Dallas County, Texas; and Leesa Manion for the prosecuting attorney's office in King County, Washington.

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda for GA, FL, and TX Candidates

Songwriter, Tony winner and activist Lin-Manuel Miranda has spent the midterm season engaging with voters to empower Latino voices at the polls, recently traveling to Texas to speak with young students in Houston about the importance of voting.

"Dionne Warwick said it better than any of us," Miranda told ABC13 last week in Houston. "'I believe the children are our future.' And honestly, I think the eyes of the United States are on Texas right now. We have the opportunity to make history."

He has so far shown support for Rochelle Garza, who is running to unseat indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas, as well as for Lina Hidalgo, who is running for reelection as Harris County Judge, and for Beto O'Rourke.

Miranda has also been at events to discuss the importance of voting in Georgia and Florida, showing support for Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karla Hernandez-Mats in Florida, and Democrat Cisco Aguilar, running for secretary of state in Nevada.

4. Oprah Winfrey for Stacey Abrams in GA

Oprah Winfrey has shown her support for Georgia's Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams for several years now, and Abrams is currently running for governor against Republican incumbent Brian Kemp.

According to the Associated Press, Winfrey and Abrams sat down for a prerecorded interview that debuted on a campaign website last week, and Winfrey said, "I'm wishing that the people of Georgia come out and make that a reality for you and the state of Georgia."

"That is a lot on the line," Winfrey added. "That's enough to get rid of your lethargy and get you up and out."

Part of Kemp's campaign has been calling out Abrams for her celebrity endorsements. The GOP candidate has called her "Celebrity Stacey," and said last month that she is "running her campaign to cater to liberal elites" and not to Georgians. He has also mocked Abrams for her cameo appearance earlier this year as president of Earth in Star Trek: Discovery.

Following Abrams' interview with Oprah, a spokesperson for Kemp, Tate Mitchell, said, "While Stacey Abrams continues to solicit the help of out-of-state billionaires, Gov. Kemp will continue to talk to hardworking Georgians about his record of economic success and plan to build a safer, stronger Georgia."

5. Latto for Stacey Abrams

Abrams joined rapper and performer Latto onstage on Saturday in Atlanta while she performed her song, "P**sy," giving a quick speech before the performance.

"I'm not gonna interrupt your fun. I just want to remind you that if you believe in my body, my choice, I need your vote," Abrams told the crowd. "I need your big energy. Let's get it!"

She shared a video from the concert on her Instagram on Saturday, writing, "Thank you for sharing your stage with me, @latto777. Time to vote and protect a woman's right to choose."

Mark Harvey, a professor and author of the book Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-Based Advocacy, told Newsweek that Abrams' appearance onstage was influential in terms of gaining attention for her campaign.

"When celebrities start talking about political issues, they are—on balance—much more effective than politicians at getting press coverage—not only across non-traditional or television/video media, but also across newspapers," Harvey said. "Thus, when you see Latto performing a song about abortion that goes viral, that will likely attract more attention to the issue than Stacey Abrams talking about the issue herself. Joint appearances between Abrams and Latto would likewise command more attention."

Harvey added though that whether or not the cameo at the show will affect voting is a completely different question. "Most people have already decided who they are voting for and aren't going to change their minds at this point. Now the campaign is trying to convince independents or boost turnout among the faithful. This effort might be successful at achieving either of these goals, although we obviously cannot tell the future," Harvey said.

6. Paul Rudd for John Fetterman in PA

Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who is running as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has accepted the endorsements of the Jersey Shore's Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Dave Matthews, in his campaign, as well as Ant-Man star Paul Rudd.

Rudd and Fetterman go back to last year when Fetterman joked in a tweet mocking Republican state lawmaker Doug Mastriano that he had "requested Paul Rudd to re-enact scenes from 'I Love You, Man' with me," making fun of Mastriano's official letter requesting an audit of the 2020 presidential election.

According to Vanity Fair, Rudd and his wife Julie Yaeger soon became Fetterman supporters. Last Wednesday, Rudd appeared with Fetterman at a grassroots fundraiser, according to Fetterman's Twitter.

7. Mixed Martial Arts Athletes for GOP Candidates

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake in Arizona has received the support of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion and Olympic wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo, who has been making appearances with Lake throughout her campaign.

In Nevada, Republican candidate for governor Joe Lombardo was endorsed by Dana White, the UFC president.

"Sheriff Lombardo kept law and order here in Vegas," White said in a video of support. "He protected our businesses and our families and kept our streets and schools safe."

8. Martin Sheen and Barbra Streisand, and the NV, GA and NH Senate Races

Actor Martin Sheen has taken the time to endorse Nevada's Catherine Cortez Masto and Reverend Raphael Warnock in Georgia for Senate.

"If Catherine Cortez Masto and Raphael Warnock lose in Nevada and Georgia, we hand over control of the Senate to Mitch McConnell, and worse still, pave the way for a second Trump era," Sheen said in an endorsement email.

In a sponsored endorsement alongside CommonGood, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to helping Democratic campaigns, actor and singer Barbra Streisand also shared her support for Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire.

"There are a lot of Republicans—all in lockstep with Mitch McConnell—who will do anything to win this year. They know that if they defeat Maggie, they regain control of the Senate chamber," she said.

Streisand's message reached a broad audience due to her celebrity status, which is not unusual in the world of high-profile endorsements.

Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod told Newsweek, "When you are running for office, whether you're running for the Senate or whether you're running for statewide office, whatever it may be, reaching a broader audience can be challenging."

"The bottom line is influencers allow you to reach a broader audience and they give you credibility within that broader audience, and those are all sought-after credentials that candidates are looking for, especially in the final stretch of that campaign cycle," Elrod said.