Religion and Politics in Baixada Fluminense: Pastors' Involvement in Proportional Elections Campaigns in 2022

Relations between religion and politics have become a frequent topic in debates about Latin American democracies over the past 30 years (Lacerda, 2018; Villazón, 2015). This issue arises mainly from the growing insertion of Pentecostal Evangelical representatives since the mid-1980s, marked by a significant religious grammar in their political discourse. This paper investigates whether evangelical pastors from Baixada Fluminense can be considered brokers in the 2022 elections. Analyzing campaign posts by elected federal and state deputies, we categorize their relationships with local pastors. Results indicate that, while pastors reinforce influence, their actions qualify as brokers in limited cases. Our methodology monitored candidates' Instagram posts during the 2022 campaign, classifying religious engagement through adapted categories to assess the density of these relationships.