<![CDATA[This study examines the political communication strategies employed by the Edy–Rendy ticket through Facebook during the 2024 Kutai Kartanegara local election. It focuses on how the candidates constructed political messages, cultivated their political image, mobilized electoral support, and projected proximity to local communities through the Facebook account “Edi Rendi Etam Togoli.” Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the study conducts a content analysis of campaign posts published between 1 October and 26 November 2024. The units of analysis consist of Facebook campaign content, including captions, digital posters, short-form videos, campaign activity documentation, electoral information, and posts featuring interactions with local communities. The findings reveal four dominant patterns in Edy–Rendy’s political communication strategy: appeals for leadership continuity, personal and emotional endorsements, electoral information, and engagement with local communities. Short-form videos and digital posters enhanced message dissemination while simultaneously portraying the candidates as accessible and stable political figures with visible grassroots support. Their communication style combined emotional, rational, informal, and participatory elements. The findings further demonstrate that Facebook functioned not merely as a campaign information channel but as a space for political image construction, voter mobilization, and narrative management within the local electoral arena. Nevertheless, the analyzed content remained considerably stronger as an instrument of political campaigning and image-building than as a platform for substantive engagement with policy programs.]]>
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