Marconi receives the support of 50 opposition mayors.

247 - After 45 days since the first official event of his political campaign, Governor Marconi Perillo (PSDB) has already garnered support from more than 50 mayors from parties that are part of opposing coalitions. The majority belong to parties that have always been antagonistic to the PSDB in Goiás, such as the PMDB, which currently has the largest number of opposition mayors who have joined Marconi's reelection project. The main argument that emerges on the list of reasons why the mayors decided to support him is the governor's focus on municipal issues.

So far, there are at least 18 mayors from the PMDB (from the coalition led by Iris Rezende), 15 of the 17 affiliated with the DEM (from Iris's ticket), four from the PSB (Vanderlan Cardoso's coalition), and two from the PRP (also linked to Vanderlan), in addition to mayors from the PTN, PSC, and PT. From the party of gubernatorial candidate Antônio Gomide alone, there are three PT members supporting Marconi. Mayors linked to the former PMDB pre-candidate Júnior Friboi also affirm their support for the governor, such as the mayor of Iaciara, Aguinaldo Gomes Ramos, and the mayor of Simolândia, José Neto (both from PROS).

This scenario is reminiscent of the 2010 campaign, when approximately 27 mayors from the PP (Progressive Party) flocked to support the governor. At the time, the Progressive Party was part of the coalition supporting Vanderlan Cardoso, who was backed by then-governor Alcides Rodrigues, a member of the party.

The mayors who have begun supporting Marconi acknowledge and affirm that "Goiás has never been so well off," and say they are aware that the state has resumed growth and developed significantly under this administration, as was the case with the other administrations of the politician from the PSDB party, achieving substantial numbers in the economy, industrialization, job creation, and infrastructure transformation, with the recovery of five thousand kilometers of the road network and the construction of another 2,5 kilometers.

They also highlight the great leap forward in education and healthcare with the arrival of Social Organizations (OSs), which have revolutionized the standards of excellence in public healthcare services in the state. Even Marconi's opponents acknowledge the success of the OSs and assert that they should be maintained.

Partnerships

The aspect most remembered by the mayors is the municipalist focus of Marconi's administrations. During his governments, each of the 246 municipalities in Goiás was served with public works, services, and social programs, as pointed out by the mayor of São João D'Aliança, Atos Ferronato (PSB): “He knows how to work, he goes after things, he gets things done, he doesn't stand still. Marconi helps Goiás and the municipalities, mainly because he helps the mayors. He welcomes them, he addresses their demands. He's not a governor who only worries about the capital. Everywhere in Goiás, I see state government projects,” he reports. “I entered politics to help my people, that's why I'm voting for Marconi again, because Goiás needs to continue with so many public works and development,” he affirms.

The mayor of Turvelândia, Ailton Minervino (PMDB), says that his municipality always had Marconi's support while he was governor. “I am in my second term, and even knowing that I belonged to the largest opposition party in the state, he helped Turvelândia, addressing the demands of the city hall. My city has always been governed by members of the PMDB party, and I have to acknowledge that I have never seen a governor with so much drive to work and so much of a partner to the mayors,” he declares.

The mayor of Goiatuba, Fernando Vasconcelos (PMDB), also recognizes and admires the governor's municipalist character. “He is a municipalist manager, and municipalities need that, a democratic governor. Having followed his work, I understand that he is the best for Goiás. I took office as mayor ten months ago, but I already see many projects, such as the restoration of state highways that cross the municipality. We gained a Vapt Vupt unit, urban paving, the headquarters of the Fire Department, which is being installed, and infrastructure for our Industrial District,” he lists.

The mayor of Taquaral, Willis Moraes (Ziro, DEM), is categorical: “He is certainly a governor who doesn't choose parties, he helps everyone who needs it. In Taquaral, more than 60% of the population is with him,” assures the Democrat, who highlights the start of construction on the highway linking the city to Santa Rosa as one of the most important projects in the region.

The mayor of Nazário, Adalcino Rosa (DEM), explains that he has supported Marconi since the first time the PSDB candidate ran for governor of the state in 1998, because he desired profound changes in Goiás. “After all these years, seeing that things have been going well, I will work even harder, every day, so that he continues to work for us. I've seen several governors who built half a dozen roads, some community projects, but a man who built an entire state in one term has to be president of the Republic in the future,” he suggests.

One of the 18 PMDB mayors supporting Marconi, João Eustáquio, who governs São Patrício, states that he has no reason to support any other candidate for state governor besides Marconi. “He’s a partner who has always helped me. My municipality and I are grateful to him for that. Therefore, my support is natural,” explains the mayor, highlighting that it has been possible, through an agreement with the state government, to repave the city's streets, among other partnerships. “And the reconstruction of GO-154, which connects Ceres to Carmo do Rio Verde, has greatly helped the region,” he says.

Own initiative

Since his party took a different path regarding the state government election in March of this year, the mayor of Petrolina de Goiás, João Bento (PSB), decided to support Governor Marconi Perillo. “I was unhappy with my party's decision, and I started looking for what I understood to be best for Goiás. At no point was I invited or pressured to support Marconi. I took the initiative on my own, because what I see is that Goiás has become a huge construction site. Paving, road widening, highway lighting, overpasses, the construction of Hugo 2. Marconi is a republican, and his interest is in helping the people,” he emphasizes.

The mayor of Piracanjuba, Amauri Ribeiro (PRP), states that he supports Marconi because Goiás cannot risk falling into another government that would "hinder" the state's development. The mayor of Planaltina de Goiás, Elis Reis (PSC), reiterates: "We have great hope in him for an ever-better future."