The Regional Hubs comprise the North-Northeast Hub, Southeast Hub, Rio de Janeiro Hub, Central-West Hub, and South Hub, covering all Brazilian regions.
The Hubs Regionais 2026 project released its first report for this year’s election cycle on July 28. It analyzes information posted on Instagram over the previous ten days by prospective candidates for state governor and the Senate in Brazil’s five regions.
The initiative is led by Instituto Democracia em Xeque (DX), in cooperation with several research groups. These include the Technology Center of the Communication Department at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (NUTEC/PUC-Rio), the Communication, Internet and Democracy research group (CID/UFBA), and the Observatory of Conflicts on the Internet (Observa/UFABC), all members of the INCT.DD research network. Midiáticus (UFMT) and the Latin America Research Center (NUPESAL/UFRGS) also take part.
The project aims to identify regional patterns and trends in how candidates for state governor and the Senate, and political groups, use social media—in this case Instagram. It considers the production, circulation, amplification, and use of election content. Read the first report HERE.
Main findings of the first report, by hub
In the North-Northeast Hub, candidates focus their campaigns on individual agendas, with few attacks on opponents. Common topics include the World Cup, walks through inland towns, participation in traditional and religious festivals, the United States tariff increases, and support for Pix.
Monitoring by the Central-West Hub found anti-establishment rhetoric in the communication of right-wing Senate candidates in Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. This included attacks on the Supreme Federal Court (STF), electoral legitimacy, and the Lula government. Public security, municipal support, and agriculture and livestock were also frequent topics.
In the Southeast Hub, election communication combined disputes over regional identity with a strong national agenda. In São Paulo, public security was the main theme for right-wing candidates, while the left focused its criticism on the state administration. In Minas Gerais, engagement focused disproportionately on punitive and anti-establishment issues. Topics such as the death penalty, taxation of Pix, and congressional privileges far exceeded engagement with policy proposals from candidates for governor.
Finally, in the South Hub, election communication also combined local issues with the influence of the national agenda. Paraná had the highest number of posts, Santa Catarina had the highest average number of interactions, and Rio Grande do Sul had the lowest average engagement, with significant differences between candidates. Topics such as Bolsonaro, the STF, Lula, corruption, Pix, and tariffs generated the most engagement. Public works, municipalities, weather, and reconstruction appeared more frequently.
Findings across hubs
According to this first report, election communication was organized mainly around ideological alignment, with national issues predominant, although local topics also appeared in some hubs. On the progressive side, key issues were national sovereignty, defense of Pix, opposition to the global far right, and economic development. Among the opposition, public security, corruption, freedoms, and criticism of the government and institutions prevailed.
Public security was the main point of dispute between the two sides at this early stage of the election race, but their approaches differed: the right prioritized fighting crime, while the left emphasized gender-based violence and social inequality.
Further Hubs Regionais 2026 reports will be published throughout the semester.
:: DETAILS
Project: Hubs Regionais 2026 – Monitoring prospective candidates for state governor in the 2026 elections
First report: Analysis of communication by candidates for state governor and the Senate on social media (Instagram)
Read the report: CLICK HERE
Organizers: Instituto Democracia em Xeque, in cooperation with NUTEC/PUC-Rio and in partnership with INCT.DD members CID/UFBA and Observa/UFABC, as well as Midiáticus/UFMT and NUPESAL/UFRGS.
Publication of further reports: Throughout the second half of 2026.