MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Steam roller” Rousseff collects more campaign funds than her eight rivals

Be it for a miracle or a catastrophe, Jose Serra seems definitively defeated

The Brazilian presidential electoral campaign for pro-government candidate Dilma Rousseff has gathered more funds than the campaigns of her eight rivals combined, according to data published by the TSE Superior Electoral Tribunal.

According to the data, Rousseff had gathered close to 39.6 million Reales (around 22.8 million dollars) and had spent close to 38.9 million Reales (22.5 million dollars). Rousseff was hand picked by President Lula da Silva who is openly campaigning for her on his personal prestige as the most popular Brazilian leader in the last sixty years.

Rival candidates had gathered around 21.8 million dollars all together.

The data was based on the respective campaign treasurers' information, which they gave to the TSE tribunal.

Rousseff represents the Workers Party founded in the eighties and is the candidate for the ruling coalition. She is comfortably ahead in the public opinion polls ahead of the October 3 elections.

If Brazil’s presidential elections were to be held today, Dilma would pick up a landslide 56% of the vote and her main rival José Serra, barely 32%. The polls thus assure a first-round triumph and only a miracle (or a catastrophe) could reverse the “steamroller Dilma” trend which picks up one or two percent more potential votes every week.

Former Sao Paulo governor José Serra, from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party is second in the polls. Serra's campaign has gathered close to 15 million dollars and spent almost 14.6 million dollars.