Lula prioritizes campaign in São Paulo, with PT directing ads to key cities in the state

The Workers' Party (PT) has decided to make São Paulo state a top priority in President Lula's re-election campaign launch. The state is set to host major events in the coming days and is a key focus for the party's online advertising efforts. Since June, the PT has invested over R$500,000 in targeted ads on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) across 25 cities, often narrated by gubernatorial pre-candidate Fernando Haddad.

São Paulo is the only state receiving such focused advertising from the national PT page. Ads highlight federal government achievements, with Haddad stating, "The federal government has done a lot here and throughout the state, but they try to hide it from you." The capital received the largest share of this investment, followed by Campinas, Guarulhos, and São Bernardo. These posts have reached over 43 million impressions.

Federal deputy Jilmar Tatto explained that cities with federal universities or institutes will be prioritized due to their perceived openness to PT proposals. The party also hopes that recalling past PT mayoralties in over 70 São Paulo municipalities will resonate with voters. The decision to concentrate efforts in São Paulo is partly based on Lula's belief that narrowing Jair Bolsonaro's advantage in the state was crucial to his 2022 victory.

In 2018, Haddad received 7.2 million votes in São Paulo compared to Bolsonaro's 15.3 million. By 2022, Bolsonaro's margin over Lula in the state had decreased to 2.6 million, with Lula winning the capital while Bolsonaro dominated the interior. "Our big challenge is to continue reducing Lula's vote difference compared to Bolsonaro," Tatto stated. "So the strategy is to dig our heels in São Paulo and compete for São Paulo, both for president and governor. The campaign will link Haddad and Lula. Agendas, materials, visuals, promotion – everything will strongly reflect both of them."