he moved to the brazilian socialist party (psb) due to problems with the pdt leader, leonel brizola, and was the party's presidential candidate at the october 2002 presidential elections. garotinho had stepped down nine months earlier to run for president and received 18% of the votes cast. he backed luiz inácio lula da silva in the second round. he helped his wife rosinha matheus re-election campaign for governor of the state of rio de janeiro. she appointed garotinho state secretary for public security.