Brazil: Dilma Rousseff Leads Polls Ahead of Senatorial Race

Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has taken the lead in the electoral race to become the senator for the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, according to a poll published Friday. 

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The poll, which was published and conducted by the Parana Research Institute, shows 24.4 percent of those surveyed would support Rousseff in October's general election. The figure gives her a 3.4 percent advantage over the state's current senate representative Aecio Neves, who is second in the poll, with 21 percent of voters stating that they would support his candidacy. 

Neves, a member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), is an important ally to Senate-imposed president Michel Temer and voted in favor of Rousseff's impeachment in August 2016. During his speech to parliament before the impeachment vote, he said that her “violation of the law” resulted in her losing credibility as the country's president and exacerbated the economic crises and increased the number of people, who were unemployed. He noted that he was on the side of the new government “to build a new Brazil,” which will result in a “stronger country, one with hope, that once again believes in its future.”

Last year, Neves was caught on a wiretapped conversation requesting bribes amounting to roughly US $638,000 from Joesley Batista, the owner of the world's largest meat processing company, JBS. When asked, who would be tasked with transferring the funds, Neves said on the tape: "It has to be someone we kill before they cut a plea bargain (deal).”

Mauro Tramonte, of the Republican Brazilian Party (PRB), came in third in the poll with 15.7 percent. Rodrigo Paiva of the Novo party and Jo Moraes of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) were also included in the survey by didn't garner significant support. 

The survey interviewed 1,850 voters in the state of Minas Gerais between May 18 and 23 and has a margin of error of 2.5 percent.

Last year Rousseff took to her official Twitter account to remind followers of the misogynistic fervor that accompanied, what she has vehemently referred to as the 2016 “coup,” which saw her removed from office.

“Dilma is a harsh woman; men are firm; Dilma is emotionally unstable, men are sensible," she tweeted.

“I was (considered) 'obsessive-compulsive with work,' men are dynamic and hard-workers. The misogyny game is well employed by those who use it,” she added.

The former head of state also pointed out that some advisors, fearing that she would be disrespected and personally afflicted by her accusers, insisted that she not attend the Senate debate and vote that would consecrate her impeachment last year.

“I made a huge effort not to allow it to diminish, paralyze or torment me,” she wrote, adding that an internal private campaign played a significant role in her removal from office.