Pimentel wins gubernatorial election in Minas Gerais

Fernando Pimentel, from the Workers' Party (PT), won, in the first round of elections, the race for the office of governor of Minas Gerais state, the country's second biggest electoral college. With ballots from 97.24% of voting machines counted, Pimentel received 52.84% of valid votes, Pimental da Veiga (PSDB) 42.01%, and Tarcísio Delgado (PSB) 3.92%. Blank ballots added up to 8.59%, and spoiled votes 8.37%.

Pimentel, an economist, started his political life by taking part in student and unionist movements in the 1970's. Persecuted by repression agencies, Pimentel had to live under concealment, and was imprisoned during the military dictatorship. The first public office he held was that of finance secretary of Minas Gerais's capital city Belo Horizonte, in 1993. In 2000, Pimentel was elected vice-mayor in the ticket headed by Dr Célio de Castro, who had a stroke and was forced to renounce. Pimentel took up office in 2003 and was re-elected in 2004, also in the first round of elections.

In 2010, Fernando Pimentel stood unsuccessfully for election in an attempt to join the Senate. After President Dilma Rousseff was re-elected, Pimentel rose to power again, in 2011, as the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade—a position he later on chose to give up in order to participate in the  gubernatorial race in Minas Gerais.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira