Tesoriero’s race highlights what many of the right-wing personalities’ efforts have in common: They’re almost certain to lose. Lahren’s fiancé, Brandon Fricke, for example, is running as an independent against Trump-needling Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), in a district the Cook Political Report rates as solidly Democratic. Meanwhile, Loomer is running against Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL), who didn’t even face a Republican opponent in 2018 and handily won her 2016 campaign.

But while the media personality candidates seem destined to lose at the ballot box, they can still win by using the bids to win fame on the right. Tesoriero’s ex-boyfriend, California politician Omar Navarro, pioneered leveraging unlikely campaigns into conservative media stardom. He lost his last two quixotic runs against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) by more than 50 points, but conservative donors continue to fund his doomed campaigns in an effort to oust Waters, a frequent Trump foil. As Waters’ reputation as a Trump nemesis grew after Trump won the White House, Navarro’s campaign coffers boomed along with it.

The conservative personalities’ campaigns often echo right-wing media talking points. Loomer has spent much of her campaign so far lambasting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), even though Omar isn’t her opponent and is running for reelection halfway across the country. Fricke’s campaign launch video, meanwhile, features shots of him looking sternly at homeless encampments—an increasingly popular topic on Fox News and other conservative media outlets.