Anielle Franco joins the PT, intensifying the dispute for Paes’ vice-president

In November 2023, the minister and the first lady worked together to provide Lula with the names of black female judges for nomination to the vacancy left by Rosa Weber in the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The president ended up appointing his Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, to the position.

Asked if she is interested in running for the position of vice mayor, Anielle told the Estadão which is focused on managing the Ministry of Racial Equality at the moment. “For now, I want to strengthen black and peripheral women and men in these elections and the PT will be the way to achieve this”, he added about the elections in Rio.

The minister’s affiliation event is scheduled for 6pm at Circo Voador, located in Lapa, central region of Rio. Before attending the event, Lula will participate in the inauguration of a mathematics institute with Paes. During the joint agenda, the president and the mayor are expected to discuss the alliance in development for the October elections this year.

To pave his path towards reelection, when he must face a candidate from the Bolsonarist right, Paes has been betting, since the 2022 presidential campaign, on the return of the alliance with President Lula, who in the past has already guaranteed resources for the works of the 2016 Olympics, to strengthen itself in Rio’s progressive base.

Although he hopes to count on Lula’s support in the dispute, Paes has not yet defined who will be the candidate for vice mayor on his ticket. A wing of the mayor’s party defends the thesis of a pure-blood ticket, arguing that, if he is re-elected, Paes will be the PSD’s natural candidate for state government. Thus, the vice-elect elected in 2024 will take over as City Hall two years later. For members of the PSD, it makes no sense to win the dispute and hand over control of Rio to another party.

Those considered to form a purebred ticket with Paes are federal deputy Pedro Paulo, state president of the PSD; the Secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz, who is a licensed federal deputy; and state deputy Claudio Caiado.