....OMG. This dude is basically soliciting in-kind campaign contributions from his academinions. I wish I were shocked. PI-Dude, your campaign website is your campaign website. Unless there is something about your research that is directly related to your elected position or the photo ops you're getting with local political figures are related to the research you're doing, or some combination of the two, do not cross the streams. Your political activities belong on social media accounts that are dedicated to your political activities, and the social media accounts for the research you're doing should be related to the research you're doing, and only if there is some concrete overlap between the two should they be interacting. (Also, I don't know exactly the terms and conditions of this particular academic research lab, but whatever institution or institutions are funding/supporting their research may have their own specific rules about how their resources can be used, i.e. possibly not to further the PI's political career unless it somehow directly relates to the purpose of the research--- though on the other hand a university may be quite glad to have faculty or whatever the PI is also serving in local government.)

ETA: Also, if the PI is posting photos of himself hobnobbing with local pols as part of his elected position and in some way passing that off as being recognition that the research project is receiving, that's another whole kind of problem--- making the research look more significant/well-received than it is is another place he could get in trouble with funding agencies etc.