Within the President’s Strategy Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to increase its support bench in the Senate, two of its former ministers are vying for a seat in the Federal District: Damares Alves (Republicans), former Minister of Human Rights, and Flavia Arruda (PL), former Chief Minister of the Government Secretariat.
Arruda, who is a native of the DF, arrived earlier in the dispute and for a few weeks has been the Bolsonarista candidate in the state. She has the support of Ibaneis Rocha (MDB), a candidate for reelection in the government, and is tied in the margin of error in the state polls with Senator José Reguffe (União Brasil). Reguffe, who has yet to confirm whether he will seek re-election or run for governor, has 21% in the Senate race, while Flávia has 19%.
No poll has been done since Damares said he would compete with his former colleague from Esplanada for the only available seat. What is known, so far, is that it has the approval of the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Ciro Nogueira (PP). And, in the view of the Republicans’ summit, she has a greater projection than her opponent as Bolsonaro’s former minister. “Damares has a different profile from Flávia Arruda because of the work she did as a minister. She has a greater scope, a different content, she is a more consistent candidate”, evaluates federal deputy Carlos Gomes (Republicans-RS).
On the side of Arruda’s party, the only conclusion is that it is not possible for both of them to be candidates in October. “The division of votes is harmful, the right thing is only one candidate. We have until August to define this, but I don’t know how to untie this knot”, confessed Captain Augusto (PL-SP), federal deputy and national vice president of the party chaired by Valdemar Costa Neto.