Pacheco wins Senate President vote in major win for Bolsonaro

The Senate during the election of its directive board. Photo: Jefferson Rudy/AS/CN

Few Brazilians would be able to pick first-term Senator Rodrigo Pacheco out of a crowd of one, but the 44-year-old lawyer became one of the most powerful men in Brazil on Monday night, after he was elected Senate President.

He won the race against fellow rookie Simone Tebet, by a 57-21 landslide.

A divisive figure, Mr. Pacheco is notable for his work behind the scenes in Brasília’s corridors of power. Some of his peers say he is little more than a proxy for outgoing Senate President Davi Alcolumbre — who ushered his rise to the head of the upper house — while others call him a “true born leader.”

Regardless, his win is good news for President Jair Bolsonaro. The pair have met twice already, and promised “political stability” for the remainder of the president’s term.

Rodrigo Pacheco, the Senate’s new president. Photo: Roque de Sá/AS/CN

With a little help from my friends

Mr. Pacheco’s win was largely orchestrated by his outgoing predecessor Davi Alcolumbre. Besides convincing his right-wing Democratas party to back a relatively inexperienced candidate, Mr. Alcolumbre also...

Débora Álvares

Débora Álvares has worked as a political reporter for newspapers Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S.Paulo, Globo News, HuffPost, among others. She specializes in reporting on Brasilia, working behind-the-scenes coverage at the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches of government.