The governor of Bahia, Jerônimo Rodrigues (), lit the alert in the face of a scenario of wear, began a series of changes in his management and doubled the bet on politics, seeking to consolidate a broad base for those of 2026, when he will compete for reelection.
Government governed by the PT for 18 years, Bahia is one of the main bastions of the party in the country. Local management performance is seen as crucial for maintaining a wide margin of votes in the state, which had a front of 3.7 million votes against (PL) in 2022.
“We are reaching 20 years of management in the state of Bahia, it is natural to require oxygenation,” the governor told Sheet.
He evaluates that the approval indicators of his management are associated with those of President Lula. Thus, the president’s fall of popularity reflects a negative perception of part of the Bahia petista management electorate.
“We are very glued. If Lula falls into the research, he pulls me. When he goes up, he pulls me up,” says the governor, also citing public safety as a local focus of wear.
Last week, the governor announced the nominations of new heads for the military, Civil Police, Technical Police and body under the justification of renewing the team led by state secretary of public security, Marcelo Werner.
Allies point to security as the main bottleneck of Jerome management. In spite of Bahia registered a 8.5% drop in intentional violent death indicators in 2024, the state faces one, with conflagrated communities, disputes between factions and police lethality.
Over the past few weeks, the government has had to deal with cases of repercussions, such as the death of a stray bullet dentist amid a shot between police and bandits on Paralela Avenue, one of Salvador’s busiest, and the murder of a spounted motoboy and had his body left in the Canela Valley.
The cases gave fuel to the opposition, led by the former mayor of Salvador (), who made criticism of the governor’s management in security and charged measures to control disputes between criminal factions in the state.
Other changes are planned in the team. This Monday (31), the governor announced the appointment of publicist Marcus Vinícius di Flora, with a trajectory linked to the national PT, to the State Secretariat of Communication.
The folder had been vague since December, when journalist André Curvello left office. At least two names were quoted for vacancy – a publicist Cid Andrade ,.
The governor evaluates other changes to oil the team and print his digital on the government, which lives a scenario of disputes between the senator’s groups and the minister.
The two also dispute the command of the PT State Directory, for which there is no consensus name, and move, when there will be two vacancies in dispute per state. Allied, Senator Angelo Colonel (PSD) claims reelection.
While conducting reform of the secretariat, Jerônimo intensified the presence strategy inside, reinforcing the articulation with local local political leaders and leaders. Since the beginning of management, in January 2023, Jerônimo visited 309 of the 417 municipalities.
The strategy includes attracting mayors who supported ACM Neto’s candidacy to the government to its base. Canto da Mermaid is considered difficult to resist, as the mayors seek resources outside the municipal budget for investments in their cities.
The approach includes even those who supported Bolsonaro in the last presidential election. This is the case of Mayor Marcelo Belitardo (União Brasil), Teixeira de Freitas, in the far south of the state, and Junior Marabá (), by Luís Eduardo Magalhães, hub of agribusiness in Western Bahia.
Jerônimo celebrates the articulation with the mayors of the opposing field and criticism ACM Neto, his likely opponent in 2026, who has been betting on social networks to try to reach the petista’s image.
“The opposition leader released the hand of the opposition. The former mayor does not have this treatment that we have to take care, to watch over, to make contacts and approach. Social network is important, but the blogger was on the blog and did not go down to the interior of the state,” said the governor last week.
The opposition is experiencing a moment of relative fragility, even with the reelection of the mayor of, Bruno Reis (União Brasil), and the good performance in the large and medium cities of Bahia in 2024.
União Brasil faces a setback with, which investigates party names on suspicions of corruption.
Still, party leaders estimate that there is still a long way until 2026, which goes through Lula’s popularity in the national sphere and the governor’s performance.
“The research portray what we have heard on the streets. There is a great dissatisfaction with PT governments, both in the national and state level,” said Mayor Bruno Reis.
Another asset for opposition is the possible formation of one, which should create the largest bench in the House of Representatives. The movement should give national muscles to both parties and should avoid a return from the PP from Bahia to the petista plate.
