To those who study the mayoral office and those involved in electoral politics, the fact that a mayor carries out important activities, capable of influencing the day to day life of the population as well as relations with other spheres of government and general elections is no secret at all. Taking candidates in the 2008 mayoral races in Brazilian capitals as our empirical universe, we seek to identify and analyze the recruitment bases of these contenders for the highest municipal political office. Common interpretations in the literature concentrate on the winners in electoral disputes, neglecting those who have lost. What is it that the winners have that losers do not? Do winners have a profile that is different the one that characterizes losers? In an attempt to offer a contribution to studies of the recruitment bases of local elites, our text is organized in one sole section, where three dimensions will be discussed: (i) gender, age group and place of birth (ii) educational level, professional group and executive mandate and (iii) campaign expenses and size of patrimony. These characteristics may help to put together the socio-political profile of members who belong to winners and losers groups in the 2008 mayoral races in Brazilian capital cities. Furthermore, the study of these attributes may help to reveal why a certain type of candidates tends to prevail in electoral races, that is, their key characteristics tend to be.
Municipal Elections; Mayors; Recruitment Bases; Socio-Political Characteristics
