Maher's 'Flip a District' Contest Aims to Engage Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections

In 2014, comedian Bill Maher launched the 'Flip a District' contest on his HBO show as part of his efforts to influence the midterm elections. The contest invited viewers to nominate a 'terrible, entrenched' member of Congress who was facing a competitive election. Maher's goal was to spotlight this politician, thereby increasing awareness and support for their opponent. The selected representative would be subjected to scrutiny and criticism through segments on Maher's show, as well as during his stand-up performances in the district of the chosen politician. Ultimately, Maher selected Republican Representative John Kline from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district as the target of his campaign. Despite Maher's efforts to rally support for Kline's opponent, Mike Obermueller, Kline successfully retained his seat in the election. This initiative highlighted the potential impact of media and public engagement in local elections, even though it did not achieve the desired outcome in this instance.