PRIMA PARTY'S POLITICAL STRATEGY IN WINNING THE CANDIDATE PAIR JAROT-ANSORI IN THE 2024 SUMBAWA REGENCY ELECTIONS

Abstract

The 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) of Sumbawa Regency served as a significant political event that illustrated the dynamics of party coalitions and electoral strategies within the local political arena. One of the notable aspects of this election was the participation of the Partai Rakyat Adil Makmur (PRIMA), a relatively new political party, in supporting and contributing to the victory of the candidate pair Syarafuddin Jarot and Mohammad Ansori (Jarot–Ansori). This study aims to examine PRIMA’s institutional role and the political strategies it employed in securing the electoral success of the Jarot–Ansori pair in the 2024 Sumbawa Regency Pilkada. This research applies a qualitative approach, with data gathered through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The informants included members of the District Executive Board (DPC) of PRIMA in Sumbawa Regency, party cadres, as well as volunteers and sympathizers involved in the campaign team. The collected data were analyzed using thematic and comparative analysis, based on the theoretical frameworks of political strategy and political marketing. The findings indicate that PRIMA implemented a combination of offensive and defensive political strategies. The offensive strategy focused on expanding voter support, strengthening the candidates’ public image, and intensifying grassroots political communication. Meanwhile, the defensive strategy was aimed at preserving internal party solidarity and maintaining existing voter support. In addition, PRIMA adopted an integrated political marketing strategy through push marketing, pass marketing, and pull marketing approaches. These findings demonstrate that, despite being a newly established political party, PRIMA was able to assume a strategic role in the local electoral contest through effective institutional management and the application of adaptive political strategies aligned with the local political context.