The four candidates for the Senate from São Paulo who participated in the debate promoted by EPTV this Wednesday (30), the last before the election, evaluated the meeting positively and highlighted the opportunity to present proposals and discuss topics considered relevant to the São Paulo electorate.
In interviews after the program, Geraldo Rufino (Podemos), Marina Silva (Rede), Simone Tebet (PSB) and Soninha Francine (Cidadania) praised the level of debate, defended the holding of more meetings of this kind and highlighted the importance of exposing ideas just a few days before voting.
André do Prado (PL) and Guilherme Derrite (PP) were invited to the debate, but did not participate, citing campaign commitments.
See below what the candidates, in alphabetical order, said in interviews after the debate:
Geraldo Rufino classified the debate as "sensational" and said that the event represented an opportunity for candidates to present themselves to voters and present their proposals.
"It's an opportunity to talk to the people, to look them in the eye, to be real. Because I am the people", he defended.
During the interview, Rufino returned to a topic mentioned in the final considerations and stated that he had received suggestions to give up his candidacy and support other political groups.
According to him, he also heard that it would not be possible to elect a black senator for São Paulo. Rufino reported having shared the situation with his son, who reminded him of a phrase attributed to Mano Brown: "Laugh, you can laugh, but don't disbelieve."
The candidate stated that he managed to present his ideas, although he regretted not having completed the final speech as he intended.
He also defended holding debates close to the election, stating that they bring candidates closer to the population and help voters choose representatives for the next eight years.
Marina Silva stated that the debate was an opportunity to discuss topics relevant to the interior of São Paulo, such as public security, political reform, water supply, technology, innovation and job creation.
The candidate also said that the meeting allowed voters to evaluate which candidates were willing to present proposals and submit themselves to the electorate's judgment.
"It was an opportunity for people to evaluate who is committed to democracy, to exposing themselves to present ideas, to being evaluated by voters," he said.
Marina highlighted her connection with the Campinas region, citing the fact that her daughter studied in the city, her first substitute was from São Carlos and the vote obtained in the region when she ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies in 2022.
Regarding his participation, he stated that debates are an opportunity to present proposals, but defended that voters also evaluate the candidates' history.
According to Marina, the campaign must be based on proposals and not on hatred, adding that she entered politics with a spirit of service and that she sought to respond to intolerance with work, truth and coherence.
Simone Tebet assessed the debate as "extremely positive" and regretted that it was the only one held in the interior of São Paulo.
The candidate stated that meetings of this type allow discussing the specific realities of different regions of the state, such as agribusiness, industry, technology and knowledge production.
She highlighted the level of the meeting between the participants, stating that there was mutual respect between the candidates and the absence of confrontations marked by accusations.
"There are four candidates who respect each other, I think this is important, at a time of so much hate, so much fake news, so many lies", he stated.
Tebet also criticized the absence of two competitors, classifying the decision as disrespectful to the region's voters.
According to the candidate, the drawn themes covered issues relevant to the campaign, such as public security, gambling, political reform, combating corruption, feminicide, labor relations and public health.
She stated that the candidates tried to present proposals and that it would be up to voters to decide at the polls.
Soninha Francine stated that the meeting was a "real debate" and highlighted the absence of exchanges of accusations and insults between the participants. According to her, the profile of the candidates present already indicated a debate more focused on discussing proposals.
The candidate said she had identified several points of agreement between the competitors and assessed that topics that are uncommon in other debates, such as artificial intelligence and network regulation, contributed to deepening the discussion.
"I found it interesting that there were many points of agreement, few divergences. On the major themes, it seems that we are reasonably aligned. And we are dealing here with themes that did not appear in other debates. So, this also challenged us", he said.
According to Soninha, the quality of the debate was both in the topics covered and in the exchange of arguments between the candidates.
Regarding his own participation, he stated that he always considers that he could have expressed himself better at some points, but he considered that the debate was worth it.
