Ricardo Nunes (politician)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Reis and the second or paternal family name is Nunes.
Ricardo Nunes
Nunes in 2021
Mayor of São Paulo
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 May 2021[note 1]
DeputyNone (2021–2024)
Mello Araújo (2025–present)
Preceded byBruno Covas
Vice Mayor of São Paulo
In office
1 January 2021 – 3 May 2021
MayorBruno Covas
Preceded byBruno Covas
Succeeded byMello Araújo
Councillor of São Paulo
In office
1 January 2013 – 1 January 2021
ConstituencyAt-large
Personal details
Born
Ricardo Luis Reis Nunes

(1967-11-13) 13 November 1967
São Paulo, Brazil
Political partyMDB (1986–present)
Spouse
Regina Carnovale
​
(m. 1999)​
[1]
EducationFMU (dropped out)
ProfessionEntrepreneur, politician

Ricardo Luis Reis Nunes (born 13 November 1967) is a Brazilian businessman and politician currently serving as mayor of São Paulo, since 2021. A member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement, he previously served as vice mayor and councillor of the city.[2]

Nunes entered politics when he was elected as a city councilor for the first time in 2012, becoming famous for chairing a commission that investigated tax evasion in the city, in addition to lobbying for amnesty for irregular religious temples and defending conservative agendas.[3][4] Elected for a second term in 2016, he was chosen by then-mayor Bruno Covas to be part of his victorious ticket in the 2020 municipal election as his vice mayor.[5][6]

After Covas' death on May 16, 2021, he assumed the position of mayor of the city.[7] Allying with former president Jair Bolsonaro, he was elected in his own right in the 2024 municipal election, defeating Guilherme Boulos in the second round.[8][9] Nunes has also chaired the Development Council of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo since 2023.[10]

In addition to politics, Nunes is a businessman and owner of a pest control company that disinfects imported and exported cargo at Brazilian ports and airports.[2]

Early life

Nunes was born on 13 November, 1967 in São Paulo, São Paulo to Maria do Céu Reis Nunes, a housewife, and Luiz Nunes, a Portuguese-born businessman. Raised in Parque Santo Antônio, a neighborhood of Capão Redondo, he initially grew up middle class, attending private school, but when his father tried to start a business on the coast of the state in the 1980s and ended up going bankrupt, he attended a public school in Capela do Socorro where he worked as a volunteer.[11][12]

Nunes studied Law at Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas (FMU), but, in debt, he dropped out of the course so he could work.[11]

Political career

Nunes was elected a city councillor for São Paulo in 2012 and 2016, having been part of the pro-government coalition of mayor Fernando Haddad, of the Workers' Party.[13] While serving as a member of the Municipal Assembly, Nunes held positions on legislative inquiry committees such as a committee on banks, in 2019, which investigated tax evasion of social security services in the state capital.[2][14]

In 2016 he supported amnesty of churches in irregular situation during zoning laws.[13]

Nunes gained notoriety in the media for being actively against the inclusion of sexuality and gender in the city education plan.[2] He also authored a bill to create an aquatic transportation system at the Billings Reservoir. While the proposal is not very feasible, it was included in the goal plan of the city government.[14]

In 2020, having been preparing a third run for city councillor, Nunes became the running mate of incumbent mayor and mayoral candidate Bruno Covas, in a coalition between the PSDB, MDB and DEM, part of a political maneuver by São Paulo state governor João Doria, a PSDB member, seeking an eventual support of the MDB in the 2022 elections.[2][13]

As deputy mayor, Nunes kept a low profile, appearing publicly only in the absence of Bruno Covas.[2]

On 2 May 2021, Nunes became acting mayor of São Paulo for 30 days, due to an administrative leave by the then incumbent mayor Bruno Covas due to treatment for cancer.[2] After assuming office, it was reported that PSDB sought to persuade Nunes to switch to their party from MDB. However, Nunes rejected the idea of switching his party affiliation.[15]

Covas died on 16 May 2021, and therefore Nunes permanently assumed office for the remainder of the term.[16][17] He was elected in his own right as mayor in the 2024 São Paulo mayoral election.[18]

Year Election Party Office Coalition Partners Party Votes Percent Result
1992 Municipal Election of São Paulo MDB Councillor São Paulo better
(PMDB, PDT, PSD, PPS, PTdoB, PRP, PTR) 		— N/A Not elected
2012 Municipal Election of São Paulo São Paulo in 1st Place
(PMDB, PSL, PSC, PTC) 		— 30,747 0.54% Elected
2016 Municipal Election of São Paulo Union for São Paulo
(PMDB, PSD) 		— 54,692 1.02% Elected
2018 State Election of São Paulo Federal Deputy — 47,258 0.22% Not elected
2020 Municipal Election of São Paulo Vice Mayor All for São Paulo
(PSDB, MDB, PODE, PP, PSC, PL, Cidadania, DEM, PTC, PV, PROS) 		Bruno Covas PSDB 1,754,013 32.85% Runoff
3,169,121 59.38% Elected
2024 Municipal Election of São Paulo Mayor Safe Path for São Paulo
(MDB, PL, PP, Republicanos, UNIÃO, PSD, Solidariedade, Agir, Avante, PRD, MOBILIZA, PODE) 		Mello Araújo PL 1,801,139 29.48% Runoff
3,393,110 59.35% Elected

Notes

  1. ^ Acting: 3 May 2021 – 16 May 2021

References

  1. ^ "Vice de Covas já foi acusado pela esposa de violência doméstica e ameaça". Yahoo! Notícias (in Portuguese). 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Quem é Ricardo Nunes, vice de Covas que agora assume a prefeitura de SP". Exame (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  3. ^ Jucá, Beatriz (2021-05-16). "Ricardo Nunes, o controverso líder que governará São Paulo com os desafios da pandemia e do plano diretor". El País Brasil (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  4. ^ InfoMoney, Equipe (2021-05-17). "Prefeito de São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes é empresário bem sucedido, mas novo na política". InfoMoney (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  5. ^ "PSDB confirma candidatura de Covas à reeleição em aliança com MDB e DEM". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-09-12. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  6. ^ Hoffmann, Bruno (29 November 2020). "Bruno Covas é reeleito prefeito de São Paulo". Diário do Litoral. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  7. ^ "Mayor Bruno Covas, A Moderate Politician Who Confronted Authoritarianism, Dies at 41 in SP". Folha de S.Paulo. 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  8. ^ "Voters in Brazil's largest city reelect mayor, who detaches from Bolsonaro". Voice of America. 2024-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  9. ^ "Sao Paulo mayor Nunes re-elected, defeats leftist Boulos, Datafolha projection shows". Reuters. 2024-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  10. ^ "Ricardo Nunes é eleito presidente do Conselho de Desenvolvimento da Região Metropolitana de SP – Jovem Pan". Ricardo Nunes é eleito presidente do Conselho de Desenvolvimento da Região Metropolitana de SP – Jovem Pan (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  11. ^ a b Ribeiro, Bruno; Porto, Renan (2024-08-30). "Quem é Ricardo Nunes, candidato à Prefeitura de SP pelo MDB | Metrópoles". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  12. ^ "Conheça de verdade Ricardo Nunes, o vice de Bruno Covas". www.covas45.com.br (in Portuguese). 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  13. ^ a b c "Ricardo Nunes: quem é o vice de Bruno Covas e prefeito em exercício de São Paulo". BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Prefeito em exercício, Ricardo Nunes mantém tom discreto e diretrizes de Bruno Covas | Poder SP". VEJA SÃO PAULO (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Depois de vice de Doria, PSDB quer filiar prefeito em exercício de São Paulo". Valor Econômico (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Bruno Covas, prefeito de São Paulo, morre aos 41 anos, vítima de câncer". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Ricardo Nunes Recebe Aporte de R$ 15 Milhões do PL para Campanha de Reeleição em São Paulo". GAZETA MERCANTIL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  18. ^ Mauricio Savarese (28 October 2024). "Voters in Brazil's largest city reelect mayor, who detaches from Bolsonaro after tumultuous campaign". Associated Press. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
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