The 2018 presidential campaign of Ciro Gomes was announced on 8 March 2018. At the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) convention on 20 July, Gomes was formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate. His running mate, Kátia Abreu, former Minister of Agriculture in Dilma Rousseff's government, was confirmed as his running mate on 5 August, on the last day of political parties conventions. Ciro Gomes' party formed the coalition Sovereign Brazil with AVANTE.[4]
Ciro had previously been a candidate for the presidency in 1998 and 2002 as the candidate of the Popular Socialist Party (PPS), losing both times. Seen as a prospective frontrunner in 2010, Ciro ended up forgoing a bid.[5]
Gomes finished third in the first round, receiving around 12.47% of the vote. He signaled his opposition to then-frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro for the run-off, although he did not formally endorse Bolsonaro's opponent Fernando Haddad.[6]
In the realm of economic policy, Ciro ran in support of a financial transaction tax on large-scale financial transactions[8] and increased state funding for education and healthcare services.[9] On social policy, Ciro ran in support of creating a national secretariat specifically to protect LGBT rights in Brazil.[10]
Following Haddad's loss to Bolsonaro, some on the political left indicated that they wished that Ciro faced Bolsonaro in the second round instead of Haddad. This is because Haddad's loss was largely attributed to anti-PT sentiment following Operation Car Wash, which would not have affected Ciro. Governor Rui Costa of Bahia, a PT member, stated that the PT should have supported Ciro instead of Haddad for this reason.[11]
Alexandre Frota, a conservative politician formerly affiliated with Bolsonaro's PSL, apologized in 2019 for past verbal assaults on Ciro, stating that in retrospect Ciro was correct about his criticisms of Bolsonaro.[12] Ciro would later accept his apology.[13]
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