Lewis mug shot helps win him social media competition

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) gained the biggest online presence of any House Democrat during Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) “Online All-star Competition.”

Lewis took the title after gaining 17,495 followers through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube in the month of July, according to Hoyer’s office.

Hoyer’s has hosted the three-week online competition annually going back to 2010 as a way to get his caucus to engage on social media. The competition started on July 1 and the winner was announced Monday.

Lewis, who has nearly 43,000 followers on Twitter, won the competition while highlighting his civil rights background during the 50th anniversary this month of the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Far and away, his most popular tweet came on July 7 when he posted his mug shot to mark the 53rd anniversary of his release from a jail for using a “white” restroom. The picture was retreated 49,000 times.

53 yrs ago today I was released from Parchman Penitentiary after being arrested in Jackson for using “white” restroom pic.twitter.com/9QAI4voo1M

— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) July 7, 2014

He highlighted similar tweets throughout the month.

My first arrest. February 27, 1960 in Nashville, TN. I felt free. I felt liberated. I felt like I crossed over. #tbt pic.twitter.com/MlzNN5UFEA

— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) July 17, 2014

Excluding House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) trailed most closely behind with 6,051 new followers, mostly from Facebook. Hoyer cited Castro’s use of a Facebook town hall and his frequent posts on the crisis on the border, where thousands of unaccompanied minors have been apprehended crossing the border.

We should be sending the Red Cross to the border not the National Guard. #RGV

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) July 21, 2014