Jorginho Mello and Flávio Bolsonaro at the PL convention in Santa Catarina Reproduction The Liberal Party (PL) confirmed Jorginho Mello's candidacy for the government of Santa Catarina. The decision was taken during a convention held this Saturday (1st) in a concert arena in Greater Florianópolis. The event is attended by Flávio Bolsonaro, the party's candidate for president of the Republic. Jorginho, 70 years old, was elected in 2022 with 70% of the votes. The current governor is running for re-election as one of the main right-wing leaders in the country. He was a senator, state and federal deputy, and councilor. ?Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp Follow the latest news about the elections in Santa Catarina Other candidates approved at the convention: Adriano Silva (New) for vice-governor; Carlos Bolsonaro (PL) and Carol De Toni (PL) for the Senate. "The campaign starts today to elect a group of federal and state deputies, elect our senators. Election, many people say it's time for war, but peace, peace, we want to talk to people from Santa Catarina, and I'm going to visit all of Santa Catarina to speak well of our state, which is a victorious state. A winning state, an example for Brazil. If Brazil looked here, it would be a little better", declared Jorginho. The PL is contesting this year's elections in a coalition formed by Podemos, Republicans, Christian Democracy (DC), Agir, PSDB/Cidadania Federation, in addition to Novo, which nominated the former mayor of Joinville Adriano Silva as vice-president. Elections 2026: Ânderson Silva analyzes the electoral scenario with the start of conventions ? Convention calendar Conventions are events in which party members meet to choose candidates in elections. The deadline is August 5th. Next, the names must be registered with the Superior Court (TSE) by August 15th. The election campaign officially begins the following day. In this year's elections, on October 4, Brazilians will vote for: president; governor; Senate (two seats per state); federal deputy; state deputy; Jorginho Mello's trajectory Jorginho dos Santos Mello was born on July 15, 1956 in Ibicaré, in the west of Santa Catarina. He is the second of seven children and was registered at a registry office with the nickname he was known for. While still a child, his family moved to the neighboring city of Herval D'Oeste. In the new city, political life began. At the age of 18, he was elected councilor and the youngest president of the City Council in Brazil in 1977 and 1978. He then passed the public exam at the Banco do Estado de Santa Catarina (BESC). In 1977, he graduated in social studies and in 1993 completed administration and law. He returned to politics in 1994, when he was elected state deputy, being re-elected three more times. In 2011, he took office as federal deputy and was later re-elected. In 2018, he ran for Senate and won. In 2020, Mello was chosen by Jair Bolsonaro as deputy leader of the government in Congress, becoming one of the former president's main defenders in Brasília. He was the creator of the National Support Program for Micro and Small Businesses (Pronampe), a line of credit for micro and small entrepreneurs. In the following election, in 2022, he received support from Bolsonaro to run for government of Santa Catarina, being elected in the second round with 70% of the votes. The candidate for vice president, Adriano Silva (Novo), resigned from his second term as mayor of Joinville, the most populous city in Santa Catarina, to join Jorginho's ticket. He has a degree in administration, is a volunteer firefighter and was vice-president of the Joinville Business Association (ACIJ). Who are the candidates for the government of Santa Catarina already announced: Check the official names, in order of announcement: Laís Chaud (UP) Gelson Merísio (PSB) Hélio Vaz (Agir) Marcelo Brigadeiro (Missão) Marcus Sodré (PSTU) Ralf Zimmer (PRD) João Rodrigues (PSD) VIDEOS: most watched from g1 SC in the last 7 days