It’s not every day a 26-year-old podcaster and online media commentator tells the National Press Club she’s running for Senate – and means it. But Hannah Ferguson isn’t running for a seat in Canberra because she necessarily thinks she’ll win. She’s running because she can. And she’s hoping a generation of women will follow suit.
This week Ferguson addressed the National Press Club in Canberra – a podium historically reserved for senior journalists and politicians who’ve been practising their spin for decades – and didn’t mince words. “Running a campaign and losing is also a powerful thing to do,” she said in her speech. “To show other young women that they can do the same thing – and that it’s not embarrassing. It’s actually a triumph.” Well said.
Ferguson is the co-founder and CEO of Cheek Media, a proudly progressive media platform that lives where the vast bulk of Gen Z and Millennials live – Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. Her sharp, often funny takes on Australian politics, gender equity, and media concentration have drawn a loyal audience of 275,000 across platforms. She was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was nominated in the marie claire 2024 Women of the Year awards for being such a strong and prominent female voice in the media landscape.
Despite her massive following she recognises being elected will be a challenge, saying “running for the Senate as an Indie is virtually impossible. In NSW you have to get 400 to 500 thousand votes to get the required numbers. That’s a tough ask.” So why do it? It seems Ferguson has spent her burgeoning online career talking about power. Now, she wants to challenge it – in the corridors of power that count.
Of course critics have already come for her – for being invited to budget lock-ups, for not being a “real journalist,” for allegedly blurring the line between commentary and activism. Sky News has referred to her as a “far-left activist influencer”. She’s steely-eyed about the noise. “I said no to money from multiple political organisations,” she said during her speech. “Everything was my bias – but I was forthcoming with it.”
She certainly was. In the lead-up to the Federal election, Ferguson sold T-shirts declaring “Good morning to everyone except Peter Dutton”. After the Labor landslide, she suggested the Liberal Party should invite her into their inner-sanctum and she could school them on what they’re doing wrong. During a recent guest appearance on Gruen Nation, prior to the Press Club address, she nominated a potential future media election slogan as “Not male, pale or stale.” Clearly for Ferguson it’s not only about making it to the red carpeted floor of the Senate. It’s about showing up – and daring others to do the same.
“It can often be hard to find one candidate or one party that represents all of your views, and I don’t expect people to align with me,” she said “I expect criticism and constant negotiation and compromise, but I want to try my best to sort of walk the walk.”
Even if she doesn’t win, she’s already changing the game by entering the race.
