This paper uses a new panel of more than 2,000 Brazilian municipalities over 13 years to analyze the influence of public expenditures
on the probability of mayors’ reelection. We examine Brazilian municipal elections from 1988 to 2000 using a logit fixed-effects
model. The results suggest that mayors who spend more during their terms of office increase the probability of their own reelection
or of a successor of the same political party. In particular, higher capital spending over the years preceding elections and
current expenditures in election years are beneficial to Brazilian incumbent mayors.
Keywords Reelection - Brazilian municipalities - Panel data econometrics
JEL Classification H72 - C23 - C25