MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula's candidate defeated in Sao Paulo mayoral runoff

Ricardo Nunes took over as mayor of the city of São Paulo after the death of Bruno Covas (PSDB), who died of cancer in 2021

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's candidate Guilherme Boulos failed to win Sunday's runoff to become Mayor of São Paulo, where Ricardo Nunes was reelected in perhaps the most relevant decision of the day, in which allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro prevailed in almost half of the State capitals where a second round was needed. Nunes took over as mayor of the city of São Paulo after the death of Bruno Covas (PSDB), who died of cancer in 2021.

While those supported by Lula da Silva only won in three of them, pro-Bolsonaro candidates scored 12 victories in the 26 capitals under dispute. Lula's Workers' Party (PT) scored only one victory of its own: that of Evandro Leitão in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará with 50.38% of the vote against André Fernandes (PL) who got 49.62%. Leitão thus joined mayors João Campos (PSB), from Recife, and Eduardo Paes (PSD), from Rio de Janeiro, as the only candidates supported by Lula to have won in these municipal elections, although the other two did not need a runoff.

Abilio Brunini of Bolsonaro's PL defeated the PT's Lúdio Cabral in Cuiabá (Mato Grosso) by 53.8% to 46.2%. Bolsonaro candidates Emilia Correa (PL) and Paulinho Freire prevailed in Aracaju (Sergipe) and Natal (Rio Grande do Norte) respectively.

In Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul), Sebastião Melo (MDB) beat Maria do Rosário (PT) with 61.5% of the vote, and Eduardo Pimentel won in Curitiba (Parana). Adriane Lopes was re-elected mayor of Campo Grande (Mato Grosso do Sul) with 51.45% of the vote

According to statistics, of the 102 candidacies registered for the municipal election runoff, only 15 were women, for a representation of 14.7%.

Besides the Lula v Bolsonaro clash by proxy, candidates linked to the so-called “Centrao” won a total of 11 capitals. Fuad Noman defeated the Bolsonarist Bruno Engler (PL) and was reelected in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) with 53.7% of the vote.

In another key duel in João Pessoa (Paraiba), Já Cicero Lucena (PP) defeated Marcelo Queiroga (PL), who was health minister under Bolsonaro.

Security forces recorded at least 102 electoral crimes across the country in this second round of municipal elections. The highest incidence was voter fraud, with 34 incidents, six in São Paulo and five in Fortaleza. There were 19 cases of irregular electoral propaganda, followed by 14 attempts to buy votes, with five in Manaus. In all, the crimes resulted in 42 voter arrests, Agencia Brasil reported citing data from the National Integrated Command and Control Center (CICCN), of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.