Alckmin elected São Paulo governor for 4th time

With ballots from 91.95% of voting machines counted, PSDB's candidate Geraldo Alckmin is mathematically elected as the governor of the state of São Paulo. He received 57.34% of the valid votes counted—or 11,271,576 ballots.

Paulo Skaf (PMDB) ranks second, with 21.57% of valid votes, or  4,232,955. PT's Alexandre Padilha took the third place, with 18%. Blank votes added up to 7.79%, and spoiled ballots 9.19%. Absent electors totaled 19.6%.

As the leader of a coalition of 12 political parties, Alckmin is to take up office as the governor of São Paulo state for the fourth time—always elected by the party he helped found, PSDB. In spite of facing crises like the one caused by the shortage of water in the Cantareira Water System, he lead opinion polls throughout the campaigning period.

A sanitation doctor, Alckmin joined politics when he was still a medical student. His first elective post was that of a city councilor in the municipality of Pindamonhangaba, where he was born, in São Paulo. In his first term, he was elected president of the Municipal Chamber. Later on, he became state deputy, and next federal deputy. He first became governor of the state in 2001, after the death of Mário Covas, whom Alckmin replaced. He was afterwards re-elected in 2002, 2010, and  is now to rule over the country's largest electoral college.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira