São Paulo gubernatorial candidates diverge on social media strategies

Candidates for the São Paulo governorship are employing divergent social media strategies as the election approaches. Fernando Haddad (PT) heavily links his campaign to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with 80% of his recent Instagram posts mentioning the President or Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. In contrast, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) is running a solo campaign, mentioning Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in less than 1% of his recent posts.

Regarding advertising expenditure, Tarcísio has spent R$ 2.8 million on Facebook and Instagram, marking the third-highest spending among candidates in the country. Haddad follows with R$ 2 million in spending.

During a recent debate, Marina Silva (REDE-SP) challenged claims that public security in São Paulo is resolved. She cited statistics stating that approximately 20% of cell phone thefts in Brazil occur in São Paulo, and noted increases in rape (7%) and femicide (10%) during the first half of the year. Silva also emphasized her support for President Lula’s social programs, such as Bolsa Família, as tools for economic inclusion.