By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the first round of Brazil’s 2012 municipal elections, nine out of 26 state capitals decided on who will be their mayor. In order to avoid a second round, a candidate must have won with over fifty percent of the votes, otherwise it is back to the polls on October 28th.
In the state capitals that elected a mayor in the first round, perhaps the most watched was in the 2016 Olympic city of Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro state).
Incumbent Eduardo Paes (PMDB) received 64.60 percent of the valid votes, with second place candidate Marcelo Freixo (PSOL) at 28.15 percent.
In other major cities hosting 2014 World Cup matches; Belo Horizonte (MG) elected PSB candidate Marcio Lacerda and Recife (PE) elected PSB’s Geraldo Julio. The city of Porto Alegre (RS) also re-elected José Fortunati of PDT by a strong 65.22 percent.
The second round of municipal elections will see a continuation in battles between the ruling PT party, and the various other opposition parties, especially the PSDB. There will be a second round in fifty cities, including 17 capitals according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
The main fight will be between PT and PSDB is in São Paulo (SP) as expected, with José Serra and PT candidate Fernando Haddad in the race for Brazil’s largest city. The first round saw José Serra, who ran for president in 2010, record 30.75 percent and Fernando Haddad 28.98 percent.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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