Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Tuesday his decision to retain Vice President Geraldo Alckmin as his vice presidential candidate for the upcoming October election.
The 80-year-old leftist leader faced pressure from political allies to select a running mate from a larger right-wing party, but ultimately chose to stand by the former São Paulo state governor.
Alckmin, 73, represents the center-right and previously challenged Lula in the 2006 presidential race, which he lost. He currently serves as the nation’s industry minister alongside his vice presidential duties.
According to Brazil’s election regulations, Alckmin must resign from his Cabinet position to qualify as a candidate. “Our partner Alckmin will have to leave the Industry Ministry. He will have to leave because he will be candidate for vice president once again,” Lula announced during a Cabinet session in Brasília.
Brazilian electoral rules require government ministers to step down by April 4 if they plan to seek office in the October general election. Multiple other Cabinet members are expected to resign to pursue various political positions.
Alckmin’s conservative background proved valuable in Lula’s tight 2022 victory over former President Jair Bolsonaro. This election cycle, Lula is anticipated to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son. Current polling indicates a closely contested race between the two candidates.
Known to many Brazilians as “Dr. Alckmin,” the mild-mannered Catholic politician led Brazil’s most prosperous state on three separate occasions. His 2006 presidential bid ended in a decisive runoff defeat to Lula. In 2018, despite beginning as the frontrunner, he suffered an early elimination in the first round to political newcomer Bolsonaro, who subsequently defeated Workers’ Party nominee Fernando Haddad.
For the 2022 election, Alckmin switched his party affiliation to the Brazilian Socialist Party to join Lula’s ticket, abandoning the center-right Brazilian Social Democracy Party he had helped establish thirty years earlier.
As vice president, Alckmin has played a significant role in Lula’s government, particularly in trade negotiations with the United States and in finalizing the agreement between the Mercosur trade bloc and the European Union.
