YouTube Educator Ms. Rachel Endorses Progressive Democrats Including Bush and El-Sayed

Children’s education content creator Ms. Rachel threw her substantial social media influence behind a slate of progressive Democratic candidates Friday, leveraging her combined audience of more than five million YouTube followers and 20 million subscribers to advocate for candidates she says prioritize child welfare and family protection. In an Instagram post, the educator, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, stated her conviction that all children deserve medical care, no individual should accumulate a billion dollars, and young people must be shielded from violence.

Accurso’s endorsement list spans House and Senate races across eight states and includes former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Vermont Rep. Becca Balint, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, and former Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson. Bush is competing in a Democratic primary Tuesday against Rep. Wesley Bell to reclaim her former St. Louis-area seat.

Bush, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, stated in July that she was proud of her DSA re-endorsement and pledged to work toward abolishing ICE, implementing Medicare for all, ending overseas wars, and achieving economic justice. El-Sayed, who faces Michigan primary competition from Rep. Haley Stevens on Tuesday, has built his campaign around Medicare-for-all, billionaire wealth taxation, and eliminating corporate donations in politics, though he rejected the socialist label during a television interview.

Federal campaign filings revealed a $3,000 payment from Accurso to El-Sayed’s campaign, though the document did not clarify whether it constituted a contribution or loan. The Republican National Senatorial Committee criticized both figures, with spokeswoman Samantha Cantrell characterizing their alliance as promoting a “socialist” and “anti-America agenda” to children.

Accurso has increasingly mobilized her platform for political activism, visiting an immigration detention facility in New Jersey in June and traveling to Washington to urge lawmakers to end family detention practices. She explained her political involvement stems from deep concern for children and families worldwide, stating she cannot remain silent while witnessing their suffering.