The House Republican New Media Challenge garnered a lot of attention in previous weeks and finally -- a winner has been announced. The March Madness style contest paired House Republicans against one another to see who could gain the most new Facebook friends, Twitter followers and YouTube subscribers.
Rep. John Fleming (LA) took first prize with Rep. Phil Gingrey (GA) and Rep. Lamar Smith (TX) taking second and third. Their prizes were, respectively, an iphone, a flip camera and a set of steak knives. According to a release from House Republican Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers', the knives are to "symbolize the need for House Republicans to stay on the 'cutting edge' of new media."
“As a Member of Congress, there is nothing more important than listening to my constituents and ensuring they have a voice in Washington,” said Rep. Fleming. “Direct communication through New Media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is the future of constituent interaction, and I’m excited to see House Republicans leading the way in using these tools to make government more interactive and responsive. I’d like to thank the House Republican Conference for sponsoring this competition and all the Members who participated in making it such a great success.”
From a press release:
The New Media Challenge symbolizes the progress and leadership of House Republicans when it comes to using these critical technologies. In January 2009, 56 percent of House Republicans used YouTube, 37 percent used Facebook, and 28 percent used Twitter. Today, those numbers are 89 percent, 79 percent, and 64 percent, respectively. House Democrats are substantially behind in all categories. On May 25, 2010, House Republicans launched America Speaking Out - a revolution in the use of New Media to engage constituents and build a positive agenda for America’s future.
You can follow the winners -- and the GOP Conference -- on Twitter below: