Food Security as a Specific Issue of Political Campaigns During Governor Election in Central Java of Indonesia

Abstract

The election of the Governor of Central Java in 2018 result was Ganjar Pranowo and Taj Yasin as the winners. Messages in political campaigns are important elements that can determine the candidate's victory or failure in political contestation. The messages in the campaign are specifically designed based on the character of the specific target voters and should not be generalized to all groups of voters. As one of the national food barns, it was interesting to figure out how specific messages related to food security are perceived by voters. The research method used was a mixed method with in-depth interviews with voters with agricultural background and survey to young voters who are considered by researchers to have the greatest opportunity to be exposed by a variety of specific issues in the campaign because of their high media consumption. The results of the study show that specific issue like food security was only a concern for voters who have strong relevance to the issue. However, it was not the only basis for consideration in choosing candidates for related voters.