Gerson Camata

Camata graduated from Federal University of Espírito Santo with a degree in economics. He worked as a journalist and host for Radio Espírito Santo, where he covered crime and the police.[1]

In 1967, Camata began his political career as a Vitória city alderman for the National Renewal Alliance (ARENA), the party of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil at the time.[1] He served on the city council from 1967 until 1970, when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Espírito Santo as an ARENA state deputy.[1]

In 1974, Camata was elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies as a member of ARENA. He won re-election to a second term in the Chamber of Deputies in 1978.[1] In 1979, with the legalization of opposition parties, Camata left ARENA and joined the newly formed Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) in opposition to the government.[1]

In 1982, Camata announced his candidacy for Governor of Espírito Santo. He won the 1982 Espírito Santo gubernatorial election with 67% of the vote, becoming the first person directly elected as Espírito Santo's governor during the transition to democracy.[1] He served as governor from 1983 until 1986, when he resigned to run for the Federal Senate.[1] His vice governor, José Moraes, succeeded Camata as the new governor of Espírito Santo.[1]

Camata was elected to his first term in the Federal Senate in the 1986 Brazilian legislative election. He won re-election to Senate in the 1994 and 2002 legislative elections.[1] Camata served the Senate for twenty-four years (and three full terms) until his retirement in 2011.[1] During his final term, Camata simultaneously served as the state Secretary of Development, Infrastructure and Transport under Governor Paulo Hartung, beginning in May 2006.[1]