Ibope/MG: Pimentel consolidates lead over Pimenta
PT candidate, former minister Fernando Pimentel, is very close to victory in Minas Gerais; according to Ibope, he now has 44% against 25% for PSDB candidate Pimenta da Veiga; PSDB senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG) reinforced his presence in Minas, managed to improve his performance in the state, but did not transfer votes to the candidate chosen by the PSDB to succeed Antonio Anastasia.
Minas 247 - The Workers' Party (PT) is very close to governing the state of Minas Gerais for the first time. With 13 days until the elections, former minister Fernando Pimentel has consolidated a 19-point lead over the PSDB candidate, Pimenta da Veiga. While the PT candidate has 44%, the PSDB candidate has 25% – in the previous poll, Pimentel had 43% and Pimenta 23%. The third-placed candidate, Tarcísio Delgado of the PSB, scored only 4%.
The results show that the PSDB's strategy of reinforcing Senator Aécio Neves' (PSDB-MG) presence in Minas Gerais did not produce the expected effect in the state election. Aécio did, in fact, improve his performance in Minas Gerais regarding the presidential succession, but he is not managing to transfer votes to the candidate chosen by the PSDB to succeed Antonio Anastasia.
In the race for the Federal Senate, however, the PSDB is expected to win, since Anastasia has 47% of the vote, compared to 20% for Josué Gomes da Silva of the PMDB, who is part of Pimentel's coalition.