KEMENANGAN CALON BAYANGAN (GACU) DALAM PILKADES DESA SARI KECAMATAN GAJAH KABUPATEN DEMAK TAHUN 2022

Abstract

cal strategy so that candidates can win the contest. In the 2022 Sari Regional Elections, Alfiyah managed to win the election because she received support from the community. This study aims to analyze the factors that led to the victory of shadow candidates in the 2022 Sari Village Head Election (Pilkades) and the impact it has on social dynamics and village governance. Shadow candidates in this context refer to candidate figures who do not come from elite groups or old power and were initially not favored, but managed to win the contest through public support. This study uses the theory of subjective voter rationality from Herbert Simon which includes elements of psychological factors, social factors, economic factors, media and campaigns. Subjective rationality explains how voters tend to choose village heads based on personal impressions, social relationships, or trust in candidates. The method used This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with a case study approach. The data was collected through in-depth interviews with key informants such as community leaders, election committees, village officials, and residents from various backgrounds. In addition, the researcher also used documentation and field observations to obtain valid and contextual data. The results of the study show that the victory of the shadow candidate was caused by several main factors, namely public dissatisfaction with the previous leadership. This dissatisfaction created opportunities for alternative figures who were perceived as more popular and promising, the power of informal social networks. Shadow candidates use a more personal and direct communication approach, such as doing blusukan, attending citizens' celebrations, and building a narrative of emotional closeness, which makes them more acceptable to the grassroots. voters tend to give more trust to candidates who are considered honest in conveying their vision and work programs. On the other hand, this victory has had mixed impacts. The positive impact is the emergence of expectations for changes and updates in village governance. However, there are also negative impacts in the form of personal conflicts, the spread of slander, and the inhibition of village development. Based on these findings, the study recommends that candidates in local political contests should build strong political branding, involve a broad political network, The community needs to increase healthy political awareness by upholding democratic values Keywords: Pilkades, shadow candidates, village politics, political victory, local democracy