Brazil: Local Elections Are a Referendum for Lula
On October 6, 156 million Brazilians are called to the polls to elect the mayors of 5569 municipalities
Two years after the presidential election that put Lula da Silva back at the helm, Brazil is going back to the polls to elect the mayors of the country’s 5569 municipalities. An important midterm test for the president, especially as his consensus, according to analysts, is declining. The election campaign was very intense and was accompanied by numerous episodes of tension and violence in various parts of the country.
All eyes are on São Paulo (over 12 million inhabitants, the most populous municipality in Brazil and all of South America). Previous polls published by Italian news agency ANSA show that the progressive candidate supported by Lula, Guilherme Boulos, leads with 29% preference, but Ricardo Nunes (outgoing mayor), supported by former conservative head of state Jair Bolsonaro, is very close (26%), the same percentage is attributed to Pablo Marcal, a supporter of the conservative-nationalist formation, also has 26%. To be elected in the first round, one must receive 50% of the votes in the first round, otherwise a runoff is scheduled for October 27. The double round is foreseen for 103 Brazilian municipalities with more than 200 thousand voters.
Even in Rio de Janeiro, progressive Eduardo Paes (the outgoing mayor) seems to have an advantage over Bolsonarist Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the secret services.