The mayor of , (), decided to hand over the vice-president of his ticket in the race for the government of Rio de Janeiro this year to the former deputy (), who maintains close ties with the family of the former president ().
The agreement between the two should be announced this Thursday (19), with Reis being reappointed as head of MDB-RJ. The party’s national president, Baleia Rossi, and the former president participate in the meeting, as does Paes.
The most likely name to occupy the position is Jane Reis (MDB), sister of the former deputy.
The alliance with Reis had been desired by Paes for some time, but had been facing resistance. The former deputy also wanted to run for office this year, but the appeal to reverse his ineligibility for environmental crimes did not advance in the STF (Supreme Federal Court).
With the agreement, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro advances on two important points in his strategy for this year’s campaign. Firstly, reduce the link between his future candidacy and Lula’s in a majority Bolsonarist state. Secondly, obtain an alliance with strong names outside the capital, especially Baixada Fluminense, where it faces resistance.
Paes’ nods to the state’s Bolsonarist wings have . However, the PT-RJ command, controlled by the mayor of Maricá, Washington Quaquá, supports the expansion of the mayor’s alliance, in order to strengthen an ally of the president.
In a post on his social network, Quaquá celebrated the agreement and even suggested a change of side for Reis. “Whoever arrives first drinks clean water… Let’s hope the wall is down. Lula president, Eduardo governor.”
Former deputy, former mayor of Duque de Caxias and former secretary of (PL), Reis is one of the political leaders in Baixada Fluminense contested by different candidates. In 2022, he was registered as vice-president on the current governor’s ticket, but had to leave his post due to a conviction for irregular allotment in the city where he works.
He aligned himself with Bolsonaro since the beginning of his term. He is the leader of the political group investigated in the case of the former president. The case was closed by the STF due to lack of evidence.
He was even considered by the Bolsonaro family to be the candidate for the Guanabara Palace this year. However, legal obstacles prevented his choice.
