São Paulo State Elections, 2006
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The São Paulo State Elections of 2006 is held along with Brazilian General Elections, on October 1st and on october 29. Since 1994, as a result of a constitutional amendment which reduced the presidential term to four years, all federal and state elections in Brazil have coincided. The state elections decide governors and the state deputies for the Legislative Assemblies. Also, the members of the National Congress are elected by state.
Governor and Vice-Governor
In general, the rules of the presidential ballot also apply to the gubernatorial one. That is, the ballot is taken in two rounds, if no one reaches at least an absolute majority of the valid votes, a second round between the two most voted candidates will be held. All the candidates holding executive posts will have to renounce till April 2, in order to be able to run.
The potential candidates for the São Paulo government include, in no particular order:
- Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) – is the governing party, but governor Geraldo Alckmin can't run for another reelection. Thus, the party must appoint a new name for the run. After governor Alckmin was selected as the presidential candidate on a dispute with the state capital mayor José Serra, it was proposed that Serra should be the candidate for the state government, but no decision has been made yet.
- Workers' Party (PT) – the main opposition party in the state has two main pre-candidates, and will have primaries to choose between them:
- * Marta Suplicy, former mayor of São Paulo city, and although she lost her reelection to José Serra, she is still a strong political candidate,
- * Aloísio Mercadante, senator of São Paulo in the fourth year of his term (the term of a senator in Brazil is eight years-long), has been shown to be the party's most competitive candidate in the polls so far, although having never occupied an executive post.
- Former governor of São Paulo Orestes Quércia is currently leading the polls by a very little margin, and this is likely to change after the candidates are announced and campaigning begins.
- Progressive Party (PP) – Paulo Maluf, former governor of São Paulo and former mayor of the state's capital, is another possible candidate. He said that he will ponder over his chances and decide upon running for governor or for federal deputy.
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