# Ebrahim Raisi 2017 presidential campaign

The Ebrahim Raisi 2017 presidential campaign began when Ebrahim Raisi, chairman of the Astan Quds Razavi, launched his campaign for the 2017 presidential election. Raisi's campaign pursued a populist agenda.

## Early stages

In February 2017, Ebrahim Raisi was said to be backed by the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability and emerging as the conservative camp consensus candidate. One of the senior member of the front told press that his party tried to "persuade Ebrahim Raisi to stand for the elections, but did not succeed". On 23 February 2017, Raisi won the majority of votes during the meeting held by Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces, a newly established umbrella organization of conservatives.
Fifty out of the 88 members of the Assembly of Experts, whose names has not been disclosed, have signed a letter supporting Raisi for president in March 2017.

## Branding

It focuses on presenting him as a symbol of Mohammad Beheshti, Iran's chief justice assassinated in 1981. His campaign portrays him as "man of the people"; when Mashhad was hit by an earthquake in early April, he cancelled his meeting in Tehran and said "it is necessary to be with the religious people of this land".
Raisi has publicized pictures of his visits to poverty-stricken areas in remote villages, and opening an apartment complex for the families of Afghan fighters killed in Syrian civil war.
On 17 April 2017, Raisi wrote an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, recommending him to "observe moral codes". Raisi's campaign symbol is "National identity card". On 15 May 2017, conservative candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf withdrew his candidacy in favor of Raisi. It is speculation that Ghalibaf will be Raisi's first vice president if he gets elected. They also joined in a campaign rally in Tehran with each other.

## Media coverage

Iranian moderates and reformists have criticized Iran's state-run television, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), for "excessively reporting" on Raisi. According to Etemaad newspaper, the television has been showing Raisi as the prayer Imam regularly in recent days. Raisi however wrote an open letter to IRIB head Abdulali Ali-Asgari, claiming it has 'biased advertisements' toward Rouhani because of coverage of his speeches as the President of Iran.

### Social media activity

In March 2017, a determined campaign began in social media with circulating pictures of mostly young people, including liberal-looking women loosely wearing a hijab, holding pictures with the hashtag #RaisiCome (Persian: #رئیسی_بيا).

### TV programs

| Program title (Channel) | Time |
| Special conversation (IRIB2) | 26 April 2017, 22:45–23:30 |
| Debate (IRIB1) | 28 April 2017, 16:00–19:00 |
| With camera (IRIB1) | 30 April 2017, 22:00–22:45 |
| Documentary (IRIB1) | 3 May 2017,18:30–19:00 |
| Reply Iranian abroad (JJ1) | 4 May 2017, 00:30–01:30 |
| Debate (IRIB1) | 5 May 2017, 16:00–19:00 |
| Special conversation (IRIB2) | 7 May 2017, 22:45–23:30 |
| Recorded conversation (IRINN) | 10 May 2017, 21:30–22:00 |
| Debate (IRIB1) | 12 May 2017, 16:00–19:00 |
| Reply Youths (IRIB3) | 13 May 2017, 19:10–18:10 |
| Documentary (IRIB1) | 14 May 2017,22:00–22:30 |
| Reply Iranian abroad (JJ1) | 15 May 2017, 00:30–01:30 |
| Recorded conversation (IRINN) | 16 May 2017, 21:30–22:00 |
| Reply Experts (IRIB4) | 17 May 2017, 18:00–19:00 |

## Political positions
### Economics

Raisi has said "I see the activation of a resistance economy as the only way to end poverty and deprivation in the country". He supports development of the agricultural sector, rather than spending money on shopping malls, which "will eventually benefit foreign brands". Raisi sees economic sanctions as an opportunity.
He has promised to triple the monthly state benefits, currently Rls.450,000 per citizen, to tackle corruption and create six million jobs.

### Foreign policy

Answering reporters about his foreign policy, he said it "would be to establish ties with every country except Israel”.

### Sex segregation

Ebrahim Raisi is one of the supporters of Sex segregation. He said in a 2014 interview that "I think this is a good move because the majority of women do a better job in a totally relaxed atmosphere and fit are required", said about a plan segregation in Tehran Municipality. He is also supporter of Islamization of universities, revision of the Internet and deal with Western culture.

## Provincial visits

| Province | Date |
| South Khorasan | 25 April |
| Yazd | 25 April |
| Qazvin | 30 April |
| Zanjan | 30 April |
| Hormozgan | 1 May |
| Hamedan | 2 May |
| Kermanshah | 2 May |
| Ilam | 3 May |
| Lorestan | 3 May |
| Qom | 6 May |
| Markazi | 7 May |
| Khuzestan | 8 May |
| Sistan and Baluchestan | 9 May |
| Kerman | 9 May |
| Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari | 13 May |
| Ardabil | 13 May |
| East Azerbaijan | 13 May |
| West Azerbaijan | 13 May |
| Golestan | 14 May |
| Mazandaran | 14 May |
| Gilan | 14 May |
| Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad | 15 May |
| Fars | 15 May |
| Isfahan | 15 May |
| Bushehr | 15 May |
| Alborz | 16 May |
| Tehran | 16 May |
| North Khorasan | 16 May |

## Endorsements
### Organizations

* Union of Islamic Student Societies
* Front of Islamic Revolution Stability
* Resistance Front of Islamic Iran
* Front of Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader
* YEKTA Front
* Combatant Clergy Association
* Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom
* Islamic Society of Engineers
* Ansar-e-Hezbollah
* Islamic Labours' Welfare Party
* National Reconciliation and Islamic Progress Party
* Popular Staff for Serving Nation
* Justiceseekers Party of Islamic Iran

### Individuals

* Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, withdrew candidate

#### Assembly of Experts members

* Ahmad Alamolhoda
* Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi (former)

#### MPs

* Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi
* Javad Karimi-Ghodousi
* Nader Ghazipour
* Alireza Zakani (former)
* Mehrdad Bazrpash (former)
* Bijan Nobaveh-Vatan (former)

#### Former ministers

* Mohammad Abbasi
* Ali Nikzad
* Masoud Mir-Kazemi
* Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi
* Mohammad Soleimani
* Alireza Marandi

#### Former vice presidents

* Masoud Zaribafan
* Fereydoon Abbasi

#### Former vice ministers

* Saeed Jalili
* Ezzatollah Zarghami

#### Judiciary officials

* Saeed Mortazavi (former)
* Javad Larijani

#### Artists

* Masoud Dehnamaki
* Amir Tataloo

#### Athletes

* Kioumars Hashemi

#### Others

* Alireza Panahian
* Hassan Abbasi

## Controversy

Raisi's practice of distributing flour among the poor has been criticized and compared to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's similar distribution of potatoes before 2009 presidential election.