Federal deputy Patrus Ananias announced on Monday that he will run for governor of Minas Gerais as the candidate of President Lula's political group.
Ananias, 74, made the announcement in a social media video after a meeting of the Minas Gerais PT. He cited his Christian formation and commitment to the poor as motivation for entering politics since childhood.
President Lula spoke with Ananias the previous Thursday and sealed his support. The deputy was not Lula's first or second choice, as the president had tried Rodrigo Pacheco and Marília Campos before.
The party convention is expected to formalize the candidacy between July 20 and August 5. A Quaest poll showed Lula with 45% of voting intentions against 37% for Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round.
