() completes his third year as head of the Government of Bahia at a crossroads. He managed to consolidate a strong political group, which holds the majority of city halls in the state, but appears behind his main opponent, (União Brasil), in the polls – the former mayor has 41% against 34% for the governor according to the Quaest survey released in August
In an interview with Sheethe minimizes the numbers, stating that, while the opposition “wins in the poll”, his political group “wins at the polls”. He highlights the importance of being an electoral leader and says he sees the president in a more comfortable situation than in the 2022 election.
Regarding public security, one of the most critical issues of his administration, he defends a “strong arm” of the State against organized crime, but emphasizes that this does not mean approval for killing.
Police lethality fell in 2024, but Bahia leads the absolute indicators among the states, with 1,370 deaths in police actions between January and October 2025. To reduce the indicators, the governor signaled the expansion of the use of body cameras by troops.
You reach three years in office with a strong political group, but behind your opponent in the polls. Are you a candidate for re-election?
I’m a pre-candidate. There is no other name in our group. I sometimes hear some comments about Rui [Costa] and there’s nothing like that. Regarding research, of course we are concerned, it is natural. But my focus is to complete my four years getting it right as much as possible. I had a very tough path. This trajectory is very guiding my decisions.
and they lived in a more comfortable scenario than you when they ran for re-election in 2010 and 2018. What changed?
They were [mais confortáveis] in relation to research. But I have another survey that I do daily, which is, for example, the number of political leaders or mayors. I’m going to work until the last day so I can make my deliveries and reverse the research. While they [oposição] They win in the polls, I win at the polls.
In 2026, will you need Lula or will the president need you to maintain the vote he had in Bahia?
I need Lula, a lot, and Lula needs our group. When he needed Bahia, Lula was out of government. But Lula is now president and has the possibility of entering the [eleitorado] from the North, from São Paulo, with more strength. There is a much more comfortable environment than in 2022. I have to do my job. Wagner and Rui faced representatives of Carlism. I am facing the heir of Carlism.
Jaques Wagner and Rui Costa want to run for . How to make a pure ticket viable without a crisis with the PSD and Senator Angelo Coronel?
We have three good names. I have been talking a lot with the parties so that we can put together a competitive ticket and help re-elect Lula. To increase the federal bench and in the Assembly. Our alliance is a win-win. My challenge is to ensure that our base parties don’t get hurt. We don’t talk behind each other’s back, but looking into each other’s eyes. And compensating when it is possible to compensate.
Do you already have the compensation?
We are building. We have until March, that’s enough time to find a way out. We have to ensure that this Congress can have federal deputies who honor our place in politics. Do not bring personal interests to that House, but discuss national issues such as the fight against hunger, housing and security.
Do you think the current Congress fails to debate national issues?
A Congress, or part of it, that seeks to build a protective environment for deputies is very bad. Congress needs to protect those who make mistakes, who have links to organized crime. There is no need to have privilege, anyone interested in making mistakes should hire a good lawyer.
How do you see his candidacy for President?
They are the ones who have to shake their heads to organize themselves. Bolsonarism created an inelegant, immature environment in politics, making the dispute petty. But any division in the opposition camp helps. [A escolha de Flávio] shows how they do politics. It resolves by decision of the former president, the convicted one, and announces it without dialoguing with the base.
In May, you said that. In November, he spoke of ‘blocking the mouths’ of those who criticize him. Don’t these statements create a climate of hostility?
The time I talked about the ditch, I really exaggerated and apologized. There was no such thing in the second speech. I didn’t do any kind of aggression, I criticized people who keep cutting my speech about things that I don’t defend. There were perverse, fake cuts, which I don’t agree with. But everyone knows my style. I have no malice or perversity, including towards my opponents.
Bahia reduced violent deaths in 2024, but is experiencing extortion and illegal control over services in communities. How to face them?
We have to do a lot. This is not a debate between the left and the right, we need what we have in health, which involves states, city halls and the Union. We have to establish a budget, increase the budget for us to share this bill. Everyone knows, Bahia does not have a weapons industry. The weapons arrive here. Bahia does not have that number of drug production laboratories. It comes from outside. Everyone knows that Bahia is a state of peace, a state of joy. But when there is a community that is being violated, we cannot imagine that the focus of the cause is there. There it is already a consequence. We are reducing the number of violent deaths and police lethality. The use of cameras [corporais] I was the one who implemented it.
Don’t you think it was very punctual?
Very, very. I agree.
I say this because you spoke about reducing lethality, but numbers from Bahia continue to be very significant. Bahia has practically triple the lethality rate of Rio de Janeiro.
The police officer is a gazetted public servant, he has to be accountable for his actions. They have to know that these body cameras are to help society understand the transparency of police action. But it’s also to protect him. When he’s right, the camera helps. Of course I want more cameras.
You renegotiated the contract for the Salvador-Itaparica bridge, which will now cost the state R$12 billion, including direct investments and payments. It is four times more than initially anticipated. Is it a sustainable work?
The negotiation was conducted by the State Court of Auditors, we reached a consensus and signed this decision. Salvador is in a place where cargo can only enter via BR-324. With the bridge, those coming from the West will save up to 100, 150 kilometers. So it’s a state mobility project. And when Lula puts the bridge in the budget, it means it is a national project.
The project foresees an expressway in Itaparica with impacts on vegetation and traditional communities. How to mitigate?
When we have a project of this magnitude, of course the consequences come, real estate speculation will happen. We created a secretariat to supervise the consortium and maintain a permanent dialogue. We will make compensations when necessary and ensure that these actions have as little impact as possible.
Its management was authorized to take out loans totaling R$26 billion. Is it sustainable for the State to go into debt in this way?
The State Government is in good financial health to take out loans. If it didn’t exist, it wouldn’t pass the Assembly. We spent four years with Bolsonaro’s government without releasing a loan, Bahia was penalized. Part of these loans is compensation for what we didn’t have in four years.
You said that combating hunger would be the main hallmark of your administration. But Bahia continues to have food insecurity above the national average. What missed?
We managed to save almost 2.3 million people from hunger. But we still have 700,000 food insecure people and that doesn’t leave me at ease. In addition to the baskets that we distribute, popular restaurants, community kitchens, there is a line to combat hunger in schools. There are four meals a day. When I hand over a school, I keep thinking that these kids will have a different school than me. Or a hospital, an asphalt road where I didn’t have one. My brand is to promote inclusion through these devices.
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Jerônimo Rodrigues, 60
Born in Aiquara (BA), he is an agronomist and professor at UEFS. He was state secretary for Agrarian Development and Education during the Rui Costa (PT) administration. He has been governor of Bahia since 2023.
