Ricardo Luis Reis Nunes (born 13 November 1967) is a Brazilian businessman and politician who is the current mayor of São Paulo, having assumed office on 16 May 2021 following the death of mayor Bruno Covas. He is a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement.[2]
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.[3] 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][4]
In 2016 he supported amnesty of churches in irregular situation during zoning laws.[3]
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.[4]
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][3]
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.[5]
Covas died on 16 May 2021, and therefore Nunes permanently assumed office for the remainder of the term.[6][7] He was elected in his own right as mayor in the 2024 São Paulo mayoral election.[8]
