Party tries to return to power with Maria do Rosário; dispute is balanced against current mayor Sebastião Melo (MDB)
This year’s municipal elections could mark the return of the PT to Porto Alegre City Hall after 20 years, if Mary of the Rosary be elected. The party governed the city for 4 consecutive terms, from 1989 to 2004, starting with Olivia Dutra (PT) and ending with John Verle (PT).
The PT administrations were marked by pioneering initiatives, such as the Participatory Budgetingwhich directly involved the population in decisions about the use of public resources. This model consolidated Porto Alegre as a world reference in democratic innovation and popular participation. It attracted international attention, especially for World Social Forumwhich reinforced the city’s image as a progressive center.
The PT’s hegemony was maintained until 2004, when Jose Fogaça (MDB) won the election, putting an end to PT’s dominance in the capital. Before that, in 2002, Tarsus Genro (PT) had resigned from the mayor’s office to take over the Ministry of Education in the Lula government, leaving the position to his deputy, João Verle, who completed the term. At the time, the PT federal government expected to implement policies at a national level.
There was criticism of João Verle’s administration, which failed to maintain the same momentum as its predecessors. José Fogaça represented an alternative to the PT model, with a discourse of renewal in areas such as security and urban mobility, themes that began to dominate the local debate.
Political scientist and professor at UFRGS, Rodrigo Stumpf Gonzalezexplains that there was an “excess” of PT candidates in the 1990s, which led to an internal dispute within the party. This was followed by a period of stagnation, characterized by a lack of new leadership and the exhaustion of previous strategies.
Since then, Porto Alegre has repeated a fragmentation characteristic of the governments of Rio Grande do Sul: PT on one side, MDB on the other and, as an intermediary force, the PSDB.
Maria do Rosário has already tried to become Mayor of Porto Alegre twice. In 2004, she was a candidate for vice-mayor on the ticket of Raul Pont (PT). They lost to Jose Fogaça (MDB, at the time in the PPS – which became Cidadania). In 2008, she ran for mayor, but lost to Fogaça in the 2nd round.
Gonzalez claims that Maria do Rosário did not have space at the polls because Fogaça did not present himself as an opposition nor as a conservative option – which made polarization in the debate more difficult.
“Fogaça’s campaign motto was ‘keep what is good and change what is necessary’, presenting himself almost as a continuation. He does not serve as opposition to the PT”declared in an interview with Poder360.
Viable scenario in 2024
In this year’s election, the PT candidate faces Sebastian Melo (MDB), who is seeking reelection, but is suffering from the consequences of the floods that hit the state in April of this year. Melo’s administration has faced criticism, especially for its insufficient response. A Quaest survey, released on August 27, showed the 2 candidates are tied technically, with 36% of voting intentions for Melo and 31% for Rosário.
The research was carried out by Quaest, commissioned by RBS TVa TV Globo affiliate in the state, from August 24 to 26, 2024. 900 people aged 16 or over were interviewed. The confidence interval is 95%. The margin of error is 3 percentage points, either way. The survey is registered with the TSE under number RS-09561/2024. According to the company that conducted the survey, the cost of the study was R$106,200.00. The amount was paid by Televisão Gaúcha S.A.
Gonzalez believes that, unlike in 2008, the more polarized scenario and Rosário’s acquisition of experience and political exposure make her candidacy more viable. She will win over voters who are dissatisfied with the city government’s response to the floods, as well as the ideological left.
The professor mentions the rapprochement with the federal government as another strategy of Rosário, specifically in the appointment of Paulo Pimenta to the Ministry of Reconstruction. For him, this will help her reach the second round. After that, she will need an alliance more to the center.
“Whenever the PT won the elections in Porto Alegre, it did not win as a left-wing candidate. It won as a candidate with administrative capacity that would put an end to embezzlement and corruption. The difficulty is knowing whether she will be able to be that person, as President Lula was.”he stated.
The deputy has also brought old leaders to participate in their campaigns. For Gonzalez, it is an attempt to “remember the good old days”. As an example of this, the deputy proposes the return of the Participatory Budget.The problem is: to what extent do the population want that? It is a calculated risk to bet that the positive memory aspects of those administrations are capable of attracting votes.”he declared.
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