# 2020 Belo Horizonte mayoral election

The 2020 Belo Horizonte municipal election took place in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, taking place on 15 November 2020 in a single round. Voters voted to elect the Mayor, the Vice Mayor and 41 city councillors for the administration of the city. The result was a single round victory for incumbent mayor Alexandre Kalil of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), winning 784,307 votes and a share of 63.36% of the popular, defeating state deputy Bruno Engler of the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB), who took 123,215 votes and a share of 9.95% of the popular vote.
Originally, the elections would occur on 4 October (first round) and 25 October (second round, if necessary). However, with the growing of cases and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, the dates were delayed.

## Political context and pandemic

The 2020 municipal elections were directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the parties to remodel their campaign strategies. The Superior Electoral Court authorized the parties to do digital conventions, in order to avoid crowds. Some parties launched their pre-candidacies through digital media. Besides that, from this election, the Constitutional Amendment 97/2017 took force, prohibiting party coalitions in legislative elections (federal, state or municipal).

## Candidates

| Party | Candidate | Most recent political office or occupation | Party | Running mate | Most recent political office or occupation | Coalition | Electoral number |
| Republicans | Lafayette Andrada | State Deputy from Minas Gerais (since 2019) | Republicans | Marlei Rodrigues | No prior political office | n/a | 10 |
| Workers' Party (PT) | Nilmário Miranda | Secretary of Human Rights (2003–2005) | Workers' Party (PT) | Luana de Souza | No prior political office | n/a | 13 |
| United Socialist Workers' Party (PSTU) | Wanderson Rocha | No prior political office | United Socialist Workers' Party (PSTU) | Firminia Rodrigues | No prior political office | n/a | 16 |
| Cidadania | João Vítor Xavier | State Deputy from Minas Gerais (since 2011) | Democrats (DEM) | Leonardo Bortoletto | No prior political office | True BH Cidadania, DEM, PSB, PL, PMN, PSL, PODE, PSC, PTB | 23 |
| Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) | Bruno Engler | State Deputy of Minas Gerais (since 2019) | Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) | Mauro Quintão | No prior political office | n/a | 28 |
| Workers' Cause Party (PCO) | Marilia Domingues | No prior political office | Workers' Cause Party (PCO) | Silvanio Vilaça | No prior political office | n/a | 29 |
| New Party (NOVO) | Rodrigo Paiva | No prior political office | New Party (NOVO) | Patrícia Albergaria | No prior political office | n/a | 30 |
| Brazilian Woman's Party (PMB) | Edmar Xavier | No prior political office | Brazilian Woman's Party (PMB) | Paula Maia | No prior political office | n/a | 35 |
| Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) | Luisa Barreto | No prior political office | Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) | Juvenal Araújo | Acting Minister of Human Rights (2018) | n/a | 45 |
| Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) | Áurea Carolina | Federal Deputy from Minas Gerais (since 2019) | Popular Unity (UP) | Leonardo Péricles | No prior political office | Left-wing Front BH in Movement PSOL, UP, PCB | 50 |
| Patriota | Marcelo Souza e Silva | No prior political office | Patriota | Leandro Moreira | No prior political office | n/a | 51 |
| Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Alexandre Kalil | Mayor of Belo Horizonte (2017–2022) | Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Fuad Noman | Secretary of Finances (2017–2020) | Courage and Labour PSD, MDB, PV, REDE, Avante, PDT, DC, PP | 55 |
| Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) | Wadson Ribeiro | Federal Deputy from Minas Gerais (2011–2019) | Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) | Kátia Vergilio | No prior political office | n/a | 65 |
| Solidariedade | Wendel de Mesquita | State Deputy of Minas Gerais (since 2019) | Solidariedade | Sandra Bini | No prior political office | n/a | 77 |
| Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS) | Fabiano Cazeca | No prior political office | Christian Labour Party (PTC) | Paula Gomes | No prior political office | The Competence BH Needs PROS, PTC | 90 |

## Opinion polls
### Published after the campaign's start

| Pollster/client(s) | Date(s) conducted | Sample size | Kalil PSD | Xavier Cidadania | Carolina PSOL | Paiva NOVO | Engler PRTB | Others | Abst. Undec. | Lead |
| 2020 election | 15 Nov | 1,237,764 | 63.36% | 9.22% | 8.33% | 3.63% | 9.95% | 9.12% | 11.12% | 53.41% |
| Datafolha | 10–11 Nov | 1,036 | 63% | 8% | 5% | 2% | 4% | 6% | 14% | 55% |
| Datafolha | 10–11 Nov | 1,036 | 55% | 8% | 5% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 25% | 50% |
| Ibope | 7–9 Nov | 1,001 | 59% | 7% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 22% | 52% |
| Datafolha | 3–4 Nov | 868 | 65% | 7% | 6% | 1% | 4% | 8% | 14% | 58% |
| Datafolha | 3–4 Nov | 868 | 57% | 4% | 3% | – | 2% | 5% | 29% | 53% |
| Ibope | 26–29 Oct | 1,001 | 63% | 8% | 5% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 22% | 55% |
| Datatempo/CP2 | 26–29 Oct | 1,500 | 63.6% | 5.5% | 3.0% | 1.4% | 3.4% | 7.0% | 16.1% | 58.1% |
| Datatempo/CP2 | 26–29 Oct | 1,500 | 58.9% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 3.3% | 30.6% | 56.2% |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 20–23 Oct | 802 | 59.5% | 8.0% | 4.6% | 2.0% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 16.9% | 50.9% |
| Datafolha | 20–21 Oct | 868 | 60% | 7% | 5% | 1% | 3% | 8% | 14% | 53% |
| Datafolha | 20–21 Oct | 868 | 49% | 3% | 3% | – | 2% | 5% | 37% | 46% |
| RealTime BigData | 14–17 Oct | 1,050 | 56% | 7% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 19% | 49% |
| RealTime BigData | 14–17 Oct | 1,050 | 47% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 45% | 45% |
| Ibope | 13–15 Oct | 1,001 | 59% | 7% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 22% | 52% |
| Datatempo/CP2 | 12–14 Oct | 800 | 64.8% | 4.4% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 5.5% | 19.4% | 60.4% |
| Datatempo/CP2 | 12–14 Oct | 800 | 58.4% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 2.8% | 35.2% | 56.5% |
| Datafolha | 5–6 Oct | 800 | 56% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 9% | 20% | 50% |
| Datafolha | 5–6 Oct | 800 | 37% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 53% | 35% |
| Ibope | 30 Sep–2 Oct | 805 | 58% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 8% | 23% | 54% |
| Ibope | 30 Sep–2 Oct | 805 | 43% | 1% | 2% | – | 2% | 5% | 47% | 41% |

### Published before the campaign's start

| Pollster/client(s) | Date(s) conducted | Sample size | Kalil PSD | Xavier Cidadania | Carolina PSOL | Paiva NOVO | Engler PRTB | Others | Abst. Undec. | Lead |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 25–29 Sep | 820 | 56.5% | 6.6% | 4.5% | 3.0% | 2.4% | 9.4% | 18.1% | 49.9% |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 22–25 Jul | 820 | 55.9% | 6.5% | 4.1% | 3.0% | 2.1% | 7.0% | 21.2% | 49.4% |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 22–25 Jul | 820 | 56.5% | 6.7% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 10.6% | 21.7% | 49.8% |

## Results
### Mayor

| Candidate | Candidate | Running mate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Alexandre Kalil (incumbent) | Fuad Noman | PSD | 784,307 | 63.36 |
| | Bruno Engler | Mauro Quintão | PRTB | 123,215 | 9.95 |
| | João Vítor Xavier | Leonardo Bortoletto (DEM) | Cidadania | 114,130 | 9.22 |
| | Áurea Carolina | Leonardo Péricles (UP) | PSOL | 103,115 | 8.33 |
| | Rodrigo Paiva | Patricia Albergaria | NOVO | 44,977 | 3.63 |
| | Nilmário Miranda | Luana de Souza | PT | 23,331 | 1.88 |
| | Luisa Barreto | Juvenal Araújo | PSDB | 17,161 | 1.39 |
| | Wendel Mesquita | Sandra Bini | Solidariedade | 9,266 | 0.75 |
| | Lafayette de Andrada | Marlei Rodrigues | Republicanos | 7,327 | 0.59 |
| | Marcelo Souza e Silva | Leandro Moreira | Patriota | 4,105 | 0.33 |
| | Fabiano Cazeca | Paula Gomes (PTC) | PROS | 2,517 | 0.20 |
| | Wadson Ribeiro | Kátia Vergilio | PCdoB | 2,211 | 0.18 |
| | Wanderson Rocha | Firminia Rodrigues | PSTU | 907 | 0.07 |
| | Edmar Xavier | Paula Maia | PMB | 865 | 0.07 |
| | Marilia Rodrigues | Adilson Rosa | PCO | 330 | 0.03 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 1,237,764 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,237,764 | 88.88 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 95,575 | 6.86 |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | 59,212 | 4.25 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,392,551 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,943,184 | 71.66 |
| Source: G1 ||||||
Popular vote
Kalil
63.36%
Engler
9.95%
Xavier
9.22%
Carolina
8.33%
Others
9.12% :

### Municipal Chamber

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Social Democratic Party | 133,874 | 11.54 | 6 | 4 |
| | Progressistas | 78,012 | 6.72 | 4 | 3 |
| | Democratic Labour Party | 74,554 | 6.43 | 3 | 3 |
| | Avante | 61,674 | 5.32 | 3 | 1 |
| | New Party | 60,575 | 5.22 | 3 | 2 |
| | Socialism and Liberty Party | 51,814 | 4.47 | 2 | |
| | Sustainability Network | 51,519 | 4.44 | 1 | 1 |
| | Solidariedade | 46,958 | 4.05 | 0 | |
| | Workers' Party | 46,220 | 3.98 | 2 | |
| | Patriota | 44,728 | 3.86 | 2 | 2 |
| | Brazilian Labour Renewal Party | 42,202 | 3.64 | 1 | 1 |
| | Cidadania | 41,006 | 3.53 | 2 | 2 |
| | Republican Party of the Social Order | 38,569 | 3.32 | 1 | |
| | Democrats | 38,440 | 3.31 | 1 | |
| | Christian Labour Party | 34,768 | 3.00 | 1 | |
| | Brazilian Labour Party | 33,931 | 2.92 | 1 | |
| | Podemos | 33,523 | 2.89 | 1 | 7 |
| | Party of National Mobilization | 32,925 | 2.84 | 1 | 2 |
| | Social Liberal Party | 25,832 | 2.23 | 1 | |
| | Social Christian Party | 25,305 | 2.18 | 1 | |
| | Liberal Party | 22,424 | 1.93 | 1 | |
| | Brazilian Democratic Movement | 21,724 | 1.87 | 1 | 1 |
| | Brazilian Social Democracy Party | 21,404 | 1.84 | 1 | 1 |
| | Republicanos | 20,642 | 1.78 | 1 | 1 |
| | Brazilian Socialist Party | 19,108 | 1.65 | 0 | 3 |
| | Christian Democracy | 18,467 | 1.59 | 0 | |
| | Communist Party of Brazil | 17,138 | 1.48 | 0 | 1 |
| | Green Party | 14,289 | 1.23 | 0 | |
| | Popular Unity | 5,203 | 0.45 | 0 | New |
| | United Socialist Workers' Party | 1,675 | 0.14 | 0 | |
| | Brazilian Communist Party | 1,449 | 0.12 | 0 | |
| | Workers' Cause Party | 193 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| Total | Total | 1,160,145 | 100.00 | 41 | – |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,160,145 | 83.82 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 113,306 | 8.19 | | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | 110,705 | 8.00 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,384,156 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,943,184 | 71.23 | | |
| Source: G1 ||||||