a popular radio anchorman, fond of amateur theater, garotinho entered politics through grassroots activism, joining the brazilian communist party and helping to reorganize the sugar-cane workers' union in campos. he entered electoral politics in 1982, presenting himself as candidate for a councilman seat in the same city on the workers' party ticket, failing to be elected because the party's list of candidates didn't achieve the necessary threshold of ballots to have a representation in the municipal chamber. afterwards, he joined the democratic labour party (pdt), being elected for the state legislature (1986) and winning the campos mayoral elections in 1988.