There’s a plan to make people pay for Facebook…but there’s a catch.
In the age of social media, Facebook has become a popular tool for candidates to use to promote their campaigns.
Candidates can use the site to build a following organically, or they can pay the site money to boost their cause. The latter has been common in some legislative races in Massachusetts this fall.
New Boston Post used Facebook’s ad library to see how much various campaigns spent on ads from October 14 to October 20 and what their top ad is, if applicable. Here is a look at that for potentially competitive state representative districts — where the margin of victory was fewer than 10 points in 2018 (the actual total in parentheses next to the district) — as well as every contested state senate race.
For Massachusetts House of Representatives
Second Essex (1.4 percent)
state Representative Leonard Mirra (R-Georgetown) — $162
Kelly’s campaign ran the largest Facebook ad of any candidate mentioned during that time. Kelly’s spent between $1,000 and $1,500 on this video ad (screenshot below).
Tran’s campaign spent between $300 and $399 on this video ad (screenshot below).
And Cronin’s campaign spent between $1,500 and $2,000 on the ad featured below:
The side scroller on the Cronin ad reveals his campaign’s priorities. They include “invest in statewide pre-k”; “bring back vocational training”; and “expand access to mental health service.” Cronin’s campaign outspent every other campaign in the timeframe surveyed.
There’s a plan to make people pay for Facebook…but there’s a catch. 
