• Major candidates for governor in different states have associated themselves with presidential candidates to attract votes. While Marcelo Freixo and Fernando Haddad have linked their image to Lula, Tarcísio de Freitas has associated himself with President Bolsonaro. In turn, governor Cláudio Castro has distanced himself from the president;
• Castro was widely criticized by both political fields and has been associated with corruption reports and criminal activities; Bolsonaro supporters have not declared their support to Castro;
• Between September 13 and 14, the repercussion of the violence against Vera Magalhães in the debate at TV Cultura accounted for 34.6% of the discussion about the candidates for governor of São Paulo;
• Messages showing support for the journalist helped “absorb” her into the red cluster, while mentions to Tarcísio de Freitas peaked due to an episode involving one of his allies, helping him stand out in the right-wing group;

The violent episode against the journalist Vera Magalhães in the debate at TV Cultura last Tuesday became the predominant topic in the digital debate about the candidates for governor of the state of São Paulo. Those were the findings of a survey by the School of Communication at FGV (FGV ECMI), which analyzed 519.7 thousand tweets about the elections in São Paulo. In the debate about the elections in Rio de Janeiro, the highlights were the predominance of the group supporting Marcelo Freixo (PSB) and a lot of criticism against Cláudio Castro, who is attempting re-election. Corruption scandals involving Castro’s allies were among the major topics of debate about the elections for governor of Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro

 

Map of interactions in mentions about the elections in RJ on Twitter
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

Left wing (Red) – 38.5% of profiles | 54.0% of interactions
Group composed of profiles of left-wing politicians, communicators and public figures supporting Marcelo Freixo’s candidacy. The group was focused on the PSB candidate and on former president Lula and commented on the event organized by the PT presidential candidate at the Baixada Fluminense, highlighting the relationship between the two candidates. The group also commented on the corruption reports involving Cláudio Castro and President Jair Bolsonaro while praising Freixo’s qualities. The posts made by the candidate Marcelo Freixo were in support for recent cases of political violence. He also mentioned the number of secretaries of the current governor who are in prison, referring to Castro, Bolsonaro and their allies as a “mafia”. The group also remembered the importance of tactical voting for Lula in order to defeat Bolsonaro, comparing the two political fields.

Right wing (Blue) – 29.4% of profiles | 21.7% of interactions
Group composed of politicians and influencers supporting President Jair Bolsonaro and celebrating the fact that Daniel Silveira’s candidacy was allegedly approved by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) – which was denied by the Court. President Jair Bolsonaro and the congressman whose candidacy was invalidated were praised by the profiles, who also promoted other minor right-wing candidacies. The group also criticized the candidate Marcelo Freixo, claiming that he does not know Rio de Janeiro and keeps to the elite parts of the city. Freixo’s financial and political resources were also criticized for not being compatible with those of a “communist” candidate.

Progressive communicators (Pink) 12.6% of profiles | 10.7% of interactions
Group formed by progressive influencers, artists and journalists who oppose the government but have no defined political position. The group commented on the citation of governor Cláudio Castro in a report sent to the Supreme Court and the imprisonment of the former chief of the Civil Police in his administration, Allan Turnowsky, remembering the fact that several governors in Rio de Janeiro have been arrested and arguing that the electors should not vote once again for someone under investigation for so many crimes.

Left-wing communicators (Lilac) – 3.3% of profiles | 2.6% of interactions
Group formed by influencers and journalists aligned with the radical left. The group denounced governor Cláudio Catro and his associations with corruption and crime, claiming that the candidate is involved with the militia and using his relationship with President Bolsonaro to strengthen the argument that the PL state and federal tickets are strongly associated with criminal organizations in Rio de Janeiro.

Influencers (Yellow) 3.0% of profiles | 2.5% of interactions
Group composed of influencers and pages opposing President Bolsonaro who also commented on the reports involving Cláudio Castro. The group also highlighted the close relationship between the governor and President Bolsonaro and commented on the invalidation of Gabriel Monteiro’s candidacy.

Center-left (Orange) – 1.9% of profiles | 1.8% of interactions
Group composed of politicians and supporters of the presidential candidate Ciro Gomes and the candidate Rodrigo Neves, criticizing the governor Cláudio Castro and commenting on the reports of corruption and criminal activity involving the re-election candidate. The relationship between Ciro and Neves was also mentioned in the group, particularly regarding the need to vote for Ciro and criticizing the candidates for state governor, who allegedly used to criticize Lula and are currently supporting him.

Journalists (Burgundy) 1.8% of profiles | 1.7 of interactions
Group formed by journalists who also commented on the imprisonment of the former chief of the Civil Police in Cláudio Catro’s administration, Allan Turnowsky, and on the reports of criminal association involving the governor.

Liberal right (Green) – 1.0% of profiles | 0.7% of interactions
Group focused on Paulo Ganime’s (Partido Novo) candidacy, criticizing Cláudio Castro and Marcelo Freixo, highlighting the candidate’s history and proposals and comparing them to those of the candidates leading the polls. The group also mentioned Allan Turnowsky’s imprisonment and the relationship between Lula and Freixo, stating that both candidates are associated with the group.

 

Mentions to the major candidates for governor of RJ on Twitter
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

 

• The candidate Marcelo Freixo (PSB) had a high volume of mentions related to a rally with the presidential candidate Lula (PT) in Nova Iguaçu and to the corruption reports involving President Jair Bolsonaro and the re-election candidate for governor of RJ, Cláudio Castro. Freixo was mentioned mostly in a positive way by supporters who mentioned the importance of electing him and commented on the reports. The posts made by the candidate also stood out with a high volume of shares, particularly in publications criticizing Castro and Bolsonaro and praising Lula. Those critical of Freixo included “liberals” such as Armínio Fraga, who supported and donated money for the carioca candidate;
• A statement made by the candidate Rodrigo Neves (PDT) in the debate, in which he suggested that drug dealers would like Marcelo Freixo to be elected, was commented under a negative light in this period. The critics stated that the candidate is indirectly supporting Cláudio Castro and referenced the presidential candidate Ciro Gomes (PDT), who is allegedly doing the same thing at the federal level. Supporters mentioned the candidate’s universal income program and criticized the candidate Cláudio Castro. The discussion about tactical voting in the presidential elections was also associated with the candidate for governor of RJ after his vice, Felipe Santa Cruz, declared support for Lula in the first round;
• The governor Cláudio Castro (PL) was criticized after the imprisonment of the former chief of the Civil Police in his administration, Allan Turnowsky. Castro’s citation in a report at the Supreme Court associating the governor with criminal activities was also mentioned on the platform. Users highlighted Castro’s association with other corruption reports and relationships with organized crime, and also remembered the fact that other governors in the state are also in prison, questioning whether the state is going to elect a “criminal” once again. Pro-Bolsonaro profiles shared their voting lists for the elections containing Castro and Bolsonaro (PL) and celebrated the good results obtained by the governor in the electoral polls.

 

Major links associated with the elections in RJ on Facebook
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

 

• The major links on Facebook indicated a trend of nationalization of some candidacies for governor of Rio de Janeiro, with strong associations between Marcelo Freixo (PSB) and Lula (PT). In turn, the relationship between Cláudio Castro (PL) and Jair Bolsonaro (PL) was not emphasized, although they are allies;
• This different indicates differences in the strategies employed by the candidates for governor of Rio. Marcelo Freixo wants to get closer to Lula in order to obtain votes from PT supporters in the state. The major links about the candidate include news pieces about the rally in Nova Iguaçu, which was attended by the former presidents Lula and Dilma;
• The governor Cláudio Castro was not associated so directly with President Bolsonaro, but his allies are identified that way. The imprisonment of Allan Turnowski, the former chief of the Civil Police and Castro’s ally, had a negative repercussion for the governor and re-election candidate;
• Castro’s citation in a report at the Supreme Court by an alleged criminal organization was also mentioned in links published by news portals. On the other hand, Washington Reis’s withdrawal from Castro’s ticket after he was classified under the Clean Record Law was not a highlight in the debate, which could be positive for the PL candidate;
• Rodrigo Neves (PDT), who is third in the voting intention polls, has occupied a secondary space in the discussions about the electoral race in Rio de Janeiro. Neves has no strong association with Ciro Gomes (PDT) and has not been associated with controversies or big episodes, with news about the candidate focusing more on his schedule and proposals.

 

São Paulo

Map of interactions in mentions about the elections in SP on Twitter
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

Right wing (Blue) – 56.2% of profiles | 51.5% of interactions
Group composed of right-wing and far-right profiles aligned with Tarcísio de Freitas and Bolsonaro. One highlight was the political-partisan approach of September 7 by Tarcísio and his allies. Tarcísio’s repudiation of the aggression carried out by one of his allies against Vera Magalhães was also mentioned. The reactions were ambiguous: while some users congratulated the candidate’s attitude, others claimed he did not have the right to disqualify an ally. Despite Tarcísio’s declaration, the cluster continued to support the aggressor.

Left wing (Red) – 28.9% of profiles | 24.4% of interactions
Group formed around profiles allied with Fernando Haddad and Lula, as well as politicians and journalists aligned with the left. The journalist Vera Magalhães was prominent in this part of debate, even though she is not usually associated with the left. She was absorbed in the polarization due to the attacks against her by Bolsonaro and his allies. The episode in which Vera was verbally aggressed by the congressman Douglas Garcia in the debate with the candidates for governor of São Paulo drove both the red and the blue cluster, since Douglas is an ally of Tarcísio de Freitas and received more engagement than usual. The left-wing’s support of the journalist also strengthened her “absorption” by the red cluster.

Progressive influencers (Pink) 4.4% of profiles | 1.8% of interactions
Group composed of influencers, news websites and other progressive opinion channels. Significantly articulated with the red cluster, this group commented mostly about threats made against left-wing candidates such as Fernando Haddad, Lula and Guilherme Boulos. Another highlight in the debates was the aggression against Vera Magalhães.

Center-left (Orange) – 1.2% of profiles | 0.7% of interactions
Group composed of center-left, “third way” profiles aligned with Ciro Gomes (PDT). In the discussion about São Paulo, the polarization weakened the orange cluster and tended to nationalize the debate. One highlight was the criticism of Lula’s approximation to Marina Silva, which is negative for Ciro. Ciro’s supporters also criticized Lula, setting the tone inside the cluster.

Liberal right (Green) – 2.6% of profiles | 2.2% of interactions
Group formed by actors associated with the liberal right. The candidates for governor Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB) and Vinicius Poit (Novo) stood out, as well as the candidates for congress Joice Hasselmann (PSDB) and Rosangela Moro (União Brasil). Rodrigo Garcia focused on criticizing Tarcísio de Freitas based on the episode involving Vera Magalhães. Joice also supported the journalist, while users demanded Rosangela to do the same.

Educators (Lilac) – 1.8% of profiles | 17.6% of interactions
Group formed by female retirees, particularly educators, from São Paulo. The group is more significantly associated with the left wing. Profiles criticized the candidate Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB) due to the fact that his predecessor, João Doria, signed a decree confiscating part of his income. The tweets clamored for the approval of a bill to invalidate the effects of the decree.

Mentions to the major candidates for governor of SP on Twitter
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

 

• The discussion about Fernando Haddad (PT) was pervaded by an attempt by the pro-Bolsonaro opposition to establish a narrative claiming that a PT administration in São Paulo would transform the state into “Venezuela”. Tarcísio’s requests for turning bots were also marked by mentions to Haddad, as well as the candidate’s statements about his opponents in the debate at TV Cultura and in the interview at Rede Globo, particularly the revocation of the free transport pass for the elderly by the current state administration. Users also drew their attention to the threat received by the candidate, who cancelled a political event in a city in the state of São Paulo a few days before September 7, as well as Haddad’s position about the political use of the date by the president and his allies;
• The verbal aggression by the congressman Douglas Garcia against the journalist Vera Magalhães after the debate between candidates for governor of São Paulo drove the discussion around Tarcísio de Freitas. In a tweet, Magalhães questioned Tarcísio on whether he agreed with his ally’s actions, which mobilized a series of messages both supporting and attacking the journalist. Another highlight was a message in which Garcia threatens to sue anyone who characterizes the episode as an “aggression”. Between September 13 and 14, the repercussion of the violence against Vera Magalhães accounted for 34.6% of the debate about the candidates for governor of São Paulo. In addition, Tarcísio’s and Bolsonaro’s alleged popular support in a visit to Sorocaba last Tuesday saw significant repercussion in the candidate’s networks;
• Rodrigo Garcia’s (PSDB) repudiation of the aggression against Vera Magalhães was a highlight in the discussion about the candidate, which was seen by some users as a strategy to move attention away from the debate at TV Cultura, in which his performance was allegedly not positive enough. The profiles also commented on Garcia’s alleged effort to “hide” his relationship with the former governor João Doria. Haddad’s question during the debate about Garcia’s brother’s involvement with a money misapplication scheme was also a highlight in the discussion about the candidate, who allegedly “hid” his political sponsors as well as relatives involved in crimes.

 

Major links associated with the elections in SP on Facebook
Period: September 8 to 14

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

 

• As seen in Rio de Janeiro, links with significant repercussion indicated a trend towards a nationalization of the candidates for governor of São Paulo. Regarding the news about the debate last Tuesday at TV Cultura, there were associations of Fernando Haddad (PT) with Lula (PT), of Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) with Bolsonaro (PL), and of Vinicius Poit (Novo) and Felipe d’Avila (Novo, particularly in issues related to corruption;
• Also within the scope of the debate, the verbal aggression by the congressman Douglas Garcia (Republicanos) against the journalist Vera Magalhães was among the most shared links;
• A letter of support for Lula and Haddad written by evangelical women also saw important repercussions. The gesture signaled a growing approximation between a traditionally conservative electorate and PT members and strengthened the idea of ​​a generalized rejection of Bolsonaro by the female electorate, even within portions of the population usually aligned with the president;
• Conservative media outlets led the publication of links with news stories focusing on data and episodes that are favorable to Tarcísio de Freitas, especially the portal Jornal da Cidade Online. In this context, one highlight was a news story about the mayor of Marília, Daniel Alonso (PSDB), who abandoned support for candidates from his party and coalitions to campaign for Tarcísio. The story reinforced the narrative of the “disbandment” of members of the PSDB, a party with wide reach in the interior of the state, to support Bolsonaro and his allies in the final stretch of the elections;
• The website also published a favorable assessment of Tarcísio’s controversial interview with Rede Globo, investing in the idea that he was “merciless” with the interviewer and emerged victorious. Another highlight from the website was an opinion about pro-Bolsonaro candidates supposedly having acquired more political strength after September 7, mentioning Tarcísio;
• Another highlight were the eggs thrown on Haddad’s entourage in an event in Cordeirópolis. On the occasion, the candidate for governor also commented about the threats he had received about the event he would hold in Presidente Prudente, which he decided to cancel, in the context of September 7.