The deputy of the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) Erika Hilton has made history in Brazilian democracy by becoming the woman who has received the most support ever in congressional elections. The milestone occurred in the general elections held this Sunday in Brazil, where more than 1,650 positions were decided, including the Presidency, with Flávio Bolsonaro leading the race for the second round scheduled for October 25.
Hilton, whose full name is Erika Santos Silva, has obtained more than 1.5 million ballots, thus consolidating the renewal of her seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the state of Sao Paulo. This figure surpasses the record of just over one million votes obtained in 2018 by fellow PSOL deputy Joice Hasselmann.
After the results were confirmed, the parliamentarian admitted that the balance of these elections has not been fully positive and emphasized the importance of broadening the focus beyond the specific claims and difficulties of the LGBT community. "When we are in politics, we do not only fight for or for ourselves, but for a project for Brazil," she pointed out.
In that line, she stressed that "We fight in politics for a more plural, more diverse, more representative Congress. We would have liked to win the state government and we are in a close contest for the Presidency of the republic," she stated, after the data showed Flávio with 47% of the votes, ahead of the current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is two points behind.
Hilton has described the current political scenario as "unimaginable," in which, as she has denounced, a "bandit" like Flávio, "the worst son of Bolsonaro," embroiled in numerous "scandals" and "horrors," has temporarily placed himself ahead of Lula, of whom she has highlighted several of his social policies and public support programs.
Erika Hilton was the first black transgender woman to hold a seat in the Congress of Brazil and also the first to be elected councilor in Sao Paulo in the municipal elections of 2020. Although her main banner has been the defense of the rights and freedoms of the LGBT community, she has also played a relevant role in other agendas, such as proposals for reducing the workday.