Brazilian presidential election, 1950
Encyclopedia
Historical context
After living in self-imposed exile in his RiograndenseRio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
ranch between his overthrow in 1945 and 1950, former President Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
decided to run for the Presidency, as the candidate of the Brazilian Labor Party
Brazilian Labour Party (historical)
The Brazilian Labour Party was a center-left populist political party in Brazil founded in 1945 by supporters of the late Getúlio Vargas. It was dismantled by the military after 1964 coup d'état.-History:...
(PTB), one of the two he founded after he decided to put an end to his 15-year dictatorship. Vargas, although in exile, remained active on the sidelines of Brazilian politics during the Presidency of his former War Minister, Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra , was a Brazilian marshal, politician and president of Brazil from 1946–1951.He was born in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, and like many other Brazilians, was from Azorean-Portuguese origin...
. He notably criticized his successor's economic policies, taking a hard nationalist and populist tone which appealed to the base of the PTB, organized labour.
In April 1950, the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Brazil)
The Social Democratic Party was a liberal political party in Brazil between 1945 and 1965. Founded as a center-right party by Getúlio Vargas together with the left-leaning Brazilian Labour Party, it elected Presidents Eurico Gaspar Dutra in 1945 and Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira in 1955...
, also pro-Vargas but based more around industrialists and state political machines, rejected the idea of forming a coalition with the PTB or the UDN and decided to run its own candidate. They nominated Cristiano Machado, a little-known congressman for Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
.
However, Vargas was able to forge an alliance with a number of PSD state leaders, notably in his own state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
and in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
, he even forged an alliance with his traditional rivals, the UDN. This phenomenon - to nominate a candidate and support another - became known as "cristianization" in Brazil. In the state of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, he forged an alliance with Adhemar de Barros
Adhemar de Barros
Adhemar Pereira de Barros was the mayor of São Paulo , and twice elected Governor of São Paulo . He was also the federal interventor in the state of São Paulo nominated by Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas, serving between 1938 and 1941...
' Social Progressive Party (PSP), a populist electoral machine who dominated state politics. The PSP was the only other party to officially endorse him, and provided him with his running-mate (who was separately elected), João Café Filho
João Café Filho
João Fernandes Campos Café Filho was a Brazilian politician. Born in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, Café Filho was a journalist and federal deputy, elected vice-president in 1950, under Getúlio Vargas. Following the Vargas suicide in 1954, Café Filho assumed the presidency...
. Vargas also assured himself of the support, or at least approval, of the military which had deposed him in 1945. He reconciled himself with the dominant figure of the military then, Góes Monteiro, who had played a role in his 1945 overthrow.
The right-wing National Democratic Union (UDN), noted for its radical anti-Vargas posture, once again nominated Eduardo Gomes
Eduardo Gomes
Air Marshal Eduardo Gomes was a Brazilian politician and military figure. He was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil....
as its candidate. The party proved woefully unable to expand its narrow electoral base, and not even the anti-Vargas rhetoric of 1945 could deliver more votes. The UDN and Gomes also proved their little comprehension of the evolving Brazilian political scene by supporting abolishing the minimum wage instituted in Vargas' past administration.
During the Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra , was a Brazilian marshal, politician and president of Brazil from 1946–1951.He was born in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, and like many other Brazilians, was from Azorean-Portuguese origin...
administration, the Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party
Brazilian Communist Party is the oldest political party still active in Brazil, founded in 1922, and one of the only Brazilian parties with a Stalinist orientation...
had its license revoked by the Supreme Electoral Court in the context of the early Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Communists oriented their followers not to vote, but a significant share of them voted on Vargas.
Candidates
- Former PresidentPresident of BrazilThe president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
Getúlio VargasGetúlio VargasGetúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
of Rio Grande do SulRio Grande do SulRio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
(PTBBrazilian Labour Party (historical)The Brazilian Labour Party was a center-left populist political party in Brazil founded in 1945 by supporters of the late Getúlio Vargas. It was dismantled by the military after 1964 coup d'état.-History:...
) - Former Air Minister Eduardo GomesEduardo GomesAir Marshal Eduardo Gomes was a Brazilian politician and military figure. He was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil....
of Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
(UDN) - Congressman Cristiano MachadoCristiano MachadoCristiano Machado was a Brazilian politician.Machado served as Mayor of Belo Horizonte between 1926 and 1929. He served as Congressman for Minas Gerais between 1945 and 1950, representing the Social Democratic Party...
of Minas GeraisMinas GeraisMinas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
(PSDSocial Democratic Party (Brazil)The Social Democratic Party was a liberal political party in Brazil between 1945 and 1965. Founded as a center-right party by Getúlio Vargas together with the left-leaning Brazilian Labour Party, it elected Presidents Eurico Gaspar Dutra in 1945 and Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira in 1955...
) - João Mangabeira (PSBBrazilian Socialist PartyThe Brazilian Socialist Party , is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organized in 1985 with the re-democratization of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 2010, becoming the second largest party in number of state...
)
Results
Vargas won a convincing victory, with 48.7% of the vote and close to an absolute majority of votes cast. Despite the UDN's claim that he was not constitutionally elected (they claimed that a candidate needed an absolute majority of the votes), Vargas was inaugurated President in January 1951.President
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II... (PTB Brazilian Labour Party (historical) The Brazilian Labour Party was a center-left populist political party in Brazil founded in 1945 by supporters of the late Getúlio Vargas. It was dismantled by the military after 1964 coup d'état.-History:... , PSP Progressive Social Party The Progressive Social Party was a populist, conservative political party in Brazil between 1946 to 1966, led by Adhemar de Barros. The result of a merger between smaller parties, it was, in practice, the fourth largest party after the Social Democratic Party, the National Democratic Union and... ) |
3,849,040 | 48.73% | |
| Eduardo Gomes Eduardo Gomes Air Marshal Eduardo Gomes was a Brazilian politician and military figure. He was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.... (UDN, PRP Party of Popular Representation The Party of Popular Representation was a political party in Brazil. The PRP was founded by Plínio Salgado on September 26 1945. He reassembled the former members of the Brazilian Integralism, and was ideologically aligned with the nationalist right. It always obtained representation in the... ) |
2,342,384 | 29.66% | |
| Cristiano Machado Cristiano Machado Cristiano Machado was a Brazilian politician.Machado served as Mayor of Belo Horizonte between 1926 and 1929. He served as Congressman for Minas Gerais between 1945 and 1950, representing the Social Democratic Party... (PSD Social Democratic Party (Brazil) The Social Democratic Party was a liberal political party in Brazil between 1945 and 1965. Founded as a center-right party by Getúlio Vargas together with the left-leaning Brazilian Labour Party, it elected Presidents Eurico Gaspar Dutra in 1945 and Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira in 1955... ) |
1,697,193 | 21.49% | |
| João Mangabeira (PSB Brazilian Socialist Party The Brazilian Socialist Party , is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organized in 1985 with the re-democratization of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 2010, becoming the second largest party in number of state... ) |
9,466 | 0.12% | |
| Total | 7,898,083 | 100% | |
Vice-President
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café Filho (PSP, PTB Brazilian Labour Party (historical) The Brazilian Labour Party was a center-left populist political party in Brazil founded in 1945 by supporters of the late Getúlio Vargas. It was dismantled by the military after 1964 coup d'état.-History:... ) |
2,520,790 | 35.76% | |
| Odilon Braga Odilon Braga Odilon Duarte Braga was a Brazilian lawyer and politician.Braga served as Minister of Agriculture under Getúlio Vargas between July 24, 1935 and November 10, 1937.... (UDN) |
2,344,831 | 33.26% | |
| Altino Arantes Altino Arantes Marques Altino Arantes Marques was a President of São Paulo. He graduated from the Law School of São Paulo in 1895. He was a member of the Paulista Republican Party. Before he became the President of the state of São Paulo, he was a federal deputy for two terms: and... (PR Republic Party The Republic Party is a centrist Brazilian political party.It was founded on December 21, 2006 by the merge of the Liberal Party and the Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order .It is likely that in the future two other parties, the Social Christian Party The Republic Party (Partido da... ) |
1,720,354 | 24.40% | |
| Vitorino Freire Vitorino Freire Vitorino Freire is a town and municipality in the state of Maranhão in the Northeast region of Brazil.This municipality is named after senator Vitorino de Brito Freire.-References:... (PST Social Labour Party The Social Labour Party is a political party in Brazil.The PST was originally founded by dissidents of the Brazilian Labor Party in 1947. Abolished by the military regime in 1965, it was re-organized in 1988 before merging with another party to form the Progressive Party in 1993... ) |
453,134 | 6.43% | |
| Alípio Correia Neto (PSB Brazilian Socialist Party The Brazilian Socialist Party , is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organized in 1985 with the re-democratization of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 2010, becoming the second largest party in number of state... ) |
10,800 | 0.15% | |
| Total | 7,049,909 | 100.00% | |