Tell Me an Instagram Story: Ephemeral Communication and the 2018 Gubernatorial Elections.

This article examines how gubernatorial candidates used Instagram Stories—a feature allowing short-lived image and video posts—in their 2018 campaigns, analyzing 730 Stories from 20 candidates during the week before and after Election Day. Findings show that over half of the candidates employed Stories primarily to share indoor rallies, speeches, and mobilization messages rather than outdoor canvassing or interactive features; static images were favored over videos. Female candidates and Democrats were more active and diverse in their use of Instagram Stories, incorporating more media affordances and appearing more frequently in their posts, while Republicans posted fewer Stories and focused more on candidate presence. Overall, candidates used Instagram Stories mainly for professional image management and voter mobilization, with limited use of personal or behind-the-scenes content, suggesting an underutilization of the platform's potential for authentic and interactive political storytelling.