Recife 2024: Indefinite Opposition and PT for Deputy Mayor – 7/5/2023 – Power

The electoral race for the Prefecture of Recife in the 2024 elections has more doubts than certainties in the opposition and a search by the current mayor, João Campos (PSB), to wave to the left, especially to the PT, to consolidate himself in the attempt at re-election.

The election in the capital of Pernambuco should focus on a tripod, with the podiums of the current mayor, a candidacy supported by Governor Raquel Lyra (PSDB) and Bolsonarism. There is also the remote possibility of a PT candidacy, which governed the city from 2001 to 2012.

In the quest to secure the re-election, Campos directly took over the political articulation to assemble a robust platform of parties next year.

After the PSB’s defeat by the Government of Pernambuco in 2022, the manager’s mandate in Recife is seen as a showcase for the party to have breath. If it wins in 2024, the PSB will go to the fourth consecutive mandate in the capital. The mayor has assured support from acronyms such as PDT, PC do B, MDB and Republicans.

João also hopes to have the support of the PT, President Lula’s party, which would consolidate the support of the PC do B and the PV, which form part of a party federation with the PT.

The party is seen as essential for Campos, who wants to be re-elected in the first round and comfortably, to have more radio and television advertising time, in addition to having the tag of “Lula’s candidate” in Recife.

On the one hand, the mayor adapted the way he acted, avoiding approaches on concessions, reforms and privatizations and investing in publications of meetings with Lula on social networks. In 2020, Campos used anti-PTism as an electoral strategy in the second round dispute against his cousin Marília Arraes, then affiliated with the current president’s party.

The PT, which has participated in the government with two secretariats since March, wants to occupy the runner-up on João’s ticket in 2024, against the backdrop of the 2026 elections. The party does not publicly admit it, but works behind the scenes to guarantee the vacancy.

For the acronym, if João Campos is re-elected and runs for governor in 2026, a petista would take over the mayoralty. If the mayor decides to complete an eventual second term, the PT wants to receive João’s support for his candidate for governor.

João, however, has the president of the Recife Chamber of Councilors, Romerinho Jatobá (PSB) as his dream deputy. To ward off possible criticism of forming a one-party ticket, the mayor is considering joining Romerinho to an allied party, such as the Republicans or the MDB.

In management, the mayor has in his favor the improvement of public accounts and works to reverse criticism after the rains of 2022, which led to wear and tear on the representatives of Greater Recife after the 133 deaths.

The BRL 2 billion loan, obtained via the IDB, is seen as key to Campos’ growing popularity. The amount will be destined mainly for works in hill areas, but it will allow other investments in the city.

In the opposition, the PL should have its own candidate for mayor of the city. The most quoted to represent the Bolsonarist camp is former Minister of Tourism Gilson Machado Neto, defeated for the Senate in 2022.

Gilson uses as an argument for being the candidate the fact that he had 323,769 votes for the Senate in Recife, about 40 to 1,000 less than the current senator Teresa Leitão (PT), who obtained 362,356 votes.

However, Gilson’s name is not unanimous in the PL. He has the endorsement of former president Jair Bolsonaro for the election, but the party is commanded in the state by the former mayor of Jaboatão dos Guararapes Anderson Ferreira, linked to the national president of the party, Valdemar Costa Neto.

In May, Anderson Ferreira indicated that he could support a candidacy of Gilson Machado in Recife, but his allies say that there is still no pacified point. Anderson’s group, which ran for state government in 2022, is also trying to convince Gilson to run for councilor to be the vote puller for a significant PL bench in Recife. The former Minister of Tourism resists this hypothesis.

In the 2022 elections, Bolsonaro obtained 43% of the votes in Recife, against 57% for Lula. The assessment of Gilson’s allies is that a victory in Recife will be difficult, but that an eventual defeat with electoral capillarity could work as political spoils for 2026.

Other possible candidates for the PL are state deputies Alberto Feitosa and Renato Antunes. The arguments in favor of Renato are that he would not have Gilson’s radical discourse and could form a broader arc of alliances than the former minister.

Another platform in the Recife election will be that of Governor Raquel Lyra’s group (PSDB). At the moment, the name most quoted to be her candidate is the secretary of Tourism of Pernambuco and former federal deputy Daniel Coelho (Cidadania).

Daniel was even in favor of the idea of ​​taking over the Tourism Secretariat in January, considering that he can make deliveries in the municipality in the short term, before the municipal election.

Lieutenant governor Priscila Krause (Citizenship), who was already a candidate for mayor in 2016, is another name quoted, but there is a fear in the Palácio do Campo das Princesas that an eventual defeat of her will lead to a direct negative weight for the governor. On the other hand, a possible nod to the female electorate weighs in favor of Priscila.

There is still no certainty in Raquel Lyra’s allies if she will enter directly into the Recife dispute. Interlocutors claim that the governor’s main focus is on managing the state and strengthening the PSDB in the interior of the state, with the possible affiliation of mayors who tend to leave the PSB, out of power at the state level.

Another ally of Raquel Lyra who wants to be a candidate is federal deputy Túlio Gadêlha (Rede). However, the parliamentarian will have to fight an internal battle with PSOL, which forms a federation with Rede. The Psolists reject an eventual alliance with Raquel’s group and want to launch councilor Ivan Moraes or state deputy Dani Portela, leader of the opposition to Raquel Lyra and former councilor of Recife.