In January, Ratinho Jr., the Governor of Paraná and a pre-candidate for the presidency, achieved a remarkable level of social media engagement, recording over 2 million interactions on his posts. This engagement placed him above his two rivals for the PSD candidacy, Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul and Ronaldo Caiado of Goiás, who accumulated 905,000 and 1.74 million interactions respectively. Such metrics indicate a strong online presence, crucial for political campaigning, particularly in a digital age where social media significantly influences public perception and voter outreach.

The data retrieved from the @socialmediagov platform suggests that despite not investing in paid advertisement boosts, Ratinho Jr. managed to generate a substantial amount of attention online. Comparatively, his competitors, Tarcísio de Freitas from São Paulo and Raquel Lyra from Pernambuco, led in total interactions, with figures of 7.53 million and 2.52 million respectively, but their high numbers were assisted by funded campaigns. This denotes a contrasting strategy, where Ratinho’s organic engagement points to a potentially more authentic connection with his audience, which could resonate well with voters looking for genuine political candidates.

The disparity in engagement strategies raises an interesting discussion about the effectiveness of digital campaigning in Brazilian politics. Given the increasing reliance on social media for political communication, candidates who can engage organically may find themselves at an advantage, especially if they resonate with public sentiment and concerns. As Ratinho Jr. continues to navigate his presidential campaign, his social media engagement could play a critical role in his political strategy moving forward, shaping public discussions and ultimately influencing voter decisions in the upcoming elections.