Weeks before voting ended in California's primary for governor, Los Angeles-based influencer Shaka Smith took to Instagram to tell his more than 700,000 followers whom he was voting for and why.

"Healthcare shouldn't bankrupt you, housing should not feel impossible, polluters shouldn't pass their bill to us and artists should not be replaced by AI," Smith said. "That's why I'm supporting Tom Steyer for governor."

But Smith started the video with a disclaimer: "This is an ad, and honestly, I wish more political content said that first." His caption specified that he was paid by Steyer's campaign.

California is one of two states, along with Texas, that have passed policies requiring content creators to say if they've been paid by a political campaign to post, and the Golden State is considering cracking down by fining people who don't.

Campaigns have long worked with celebrities and major influencers to win over voters, but now they are teaming up with smaller creators — sometimes with fewer than 100,000 followers — to reach more tailored audiences. That has sparked debates about whether disclosure rules for political advertisements should apply to content creators, who are expected to play prominent roles in the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election.

"If you're running for president and you are not currently trying to court some of these people or lining up your own people to act as surrogates for you, you're already behind," said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist who worked for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.

Campaigns tap creators to spread their message
Questions about transparency have been fueled by high-profile instances of influencers making content intended to... Read More