Sacramento Area Congressional Candidate Goes Dark on Social Media

Much like pornographers have long been adept at adopting the latest in technology to market their wares, politicians likewise are quick to harness new ways of reaching voters and, as important, donors. Whether posing for selfies or conveying legitimate information, politicians and their handlers have become particularly skilled at using email and social media to help their campaigns and fundraising.

With this in mind, one prominent Sacramento-area Congressional candidate appears to have gone dark on social media. That person is Dr. Richard Pan, the candidate for California's 6th Congressional District.

Pan, a termed-out California State Senator, was one of the first prominent candidates to announce a 2026 Congressional campaign. Before the approval of Proposition 50, Pan had entered the 3rd District Congressional race.

When Proposition 50 was adopted, Pan switched his candidacy to California's 6th Congressional District after the District's incumbent and fellow Democratic Congressmember, Dr. Ami Bera, said he would run for the 3rd District. Since his initial announcement and switch, Pan had actively promoted his candidacy on social media.

But as we have seen, the aftermath of Proposition 50 is having political aftershocks. One of those aftershocks has been the candidacy of Sacramento District Attorney Thien Ho for the now-open 6th Congressional District.

Since making his announcement, Ho, who is running as a Democrat, has been on a nonstop social media blitz. Aside from several fundraising emails, Mr. Ho has made repeated appearances across his social media platforms.

Conversely, since Ho's candidacy announcement on November 18, Dr. Pan's social media campaign has gone dark. Pan's most recent post on his campaign Facebook page was on November 16.

On November 19, Pan announced an endorsement on his Instagram page, and there are no apparent updates on his website. There have been updates on his Twitter and Blue Sky pages, but those were reposts of other accounts and dealt with health and medical issues.

Undoubtedly, Ho's entry into the race and his prominence in the Sacramento area make him a strong candidate to fill the vacancy. What effect Ho's entry has on Pan's candidacy is speculation.

Nonetheless, Pan's dearth of social media campaign activity might indicate he is reassessing his campaign prospects.