Study: Republicans take the lead on Twitter engagement

More Republicans than Democrats on Capitol Hill use Twitter, according to a new survey by public-relations firm Edelman.

The firm found that 194 Democrats and 260 Republicans are on Twitter. 

Republicans on Twitter also tweet, reply, re-tweet and share links more than Democrats, according to the firm's research. That level of engagement holds true in both the House and Senate.

The survey shows that not only do Republicans lead in Twitter outreach, they also tend to share the most information about specific legislation in their tweets. 

The survey confirmed that almost 90 percent of the Senate is on the microblogging service, at 89 senators nearly evenly broken down into 44 Democrats and 43 Republicans. In the House, 367 members are on Twitter, but House Democrats are outnumbered by House Republicans, 150-217.

The largest bloc of congressional Twitter users — numbering 203 — comprises members who have only been on Capitol Hill for one to five years. 

---