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.[1]
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.[2][3] 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.[4][5]
After Covas' death on May 16, 2021, he assumed the position of mayor of the city.[6] 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.[7][8] Nunes has also chaired the Development Council of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo since 2023.[9]
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.[1]
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.[10][11]
Nunes studied Law at Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas (FMU), but, in debt, he dropped out of the course so he could work.[10]
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.[12] 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.[1][13]
In 2016 he supported amnesty of churches in irregular situation during zoning laws.[12]
Nunes gained notoriety in the media for being actively against the inclusion of sexuality and gender in the city education plan.[1] 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.[13]
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.[1][12]
As deputy mayor, Nunes kept a low profile, appearing publicly only in the absence of Bruno Covas.[1]
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.[1] 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.[14]
Covas died on 16 May 2021, and therefore Nunes permanently assumed office for the remainder of the term.[15][16] He was elected in his own right as mayor in the 2024 São Paulo mayoral election.[17]
| 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 | N/A | Not elected | ||||
| 2012 | Municipal Election of São Paulo | São Paulo in 1st Place (PMDB, PSL, PSC, PTC) | —N/a | 30,747 | 0.54% | Elected | |||||
| 2016 | Municipal Election of São Paulo | Union for São Paulo (PMDB, PSD) | —N/a | 54,692 | 1.02% | Elected | |||||
| 2018 | State Election of São Paulo | Federal Deputy | —N/a | 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 | |||||||||
References
- 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5][1.6][1.7]"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.
- 2.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.
- 3.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.
- 4."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.
- 5.Hoffmann, Bruno (29 November 2020). "Bruno Covas é reeleito prefeito de São Paulo". Diário do Litoral. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- 6."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.
- 7."Voters in Brazil's largest city reelect mayor, who detaches from Bolsonaro". Voice of America. 2024-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- 8."Sao Paulo mayor Nunes re-elected, defeats leftist Boulos, Datafolha projection shows". Reuters. 2024-10-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- 9."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.
- 10.[10.2]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.
- 11."Conheça de verdade Ricardo Nunes, o vice de Bruno Covas". www.covas45.com.br (in Portuguese). 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- 12.[12.2][12.3]"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.
- 13.[13.2]"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.
- 14."Depois de vice de Doria, PSDB quer filiar prefeito em exercício de São Paulo". Valor Econômico (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- 15."Bruno Covas, prefeito de São Paulo, morre aos 41 anos, vítima de câncer". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- 16."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.
- 17.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.