Lula now presidential hopeful, Alckmin joins bid as running mate

The Workers’ Party (PT) and party confederation Brazil of Hope—comprising the PT, the PCdoB, and the PV—today (Jul 21) officially announced former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as their candidate for the presidential elections in October. São Paulo’s ex-governor Geraldo Alckmin is to join the race as his running mate.

During the party convention, which took place behind closed doors in a hotel in São Paulo, the PT also approved the coalition with the PSB, Solidariedade, and the PSOL–Rede federation. Lula and Alckmin did not attend, as they had engagements in Recife, Pernambuco. “We approved our seven-party coalition and also delegated powers to the federation’s national executive board to talk to other parties that may wish to join our coalition,” said PT national head Gleisi Hoffmann.

Bio

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 76, was born in Pernambuco and started his political career as a union leader in 1966. He was president of Brazil for two four-year terms, beginning in 2003. The first time he ran for president was in 1989. He tried again on two other occasions, in 1994 and 1998.

Geraldo Alckmin, born in São Paulo, is 68 years old, a doctor and a professor. He was governor of São Paulo state from 2001 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2018. Today, he is a university professor of medicine at the Nove de Julho University and a member of the São Paulo Academy of Medicine.