São Paulo governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who is running for reelection, did not appear on Monday (21) for a debate with Fernando Haddad, his main rival in the state race, broadcast by TV Record. The network kept the podium reserved for the governor empty throughout the program and turned the event into a 30-minute solo interview with Haddad, the only candidate present. According to the newspaper O Globo, Tarcísio had no campaign events scheduled during the debate.

Haddad, a former finance minister, stood beside the empty podium and called the absence disrespectful to voters.

"His absence reveals not only disrespect for the voter, but also that his proposals are not convincing for a second term. It shows that, perhaps, with a clash of ideas, voters might have given São Paulo a new direction," Haddad said

The Workers Party candidate used the airtime to criticize the privatization of water utility Sabesp, problems on commuter rail lines, the fight against organized crime and the state's results in the Ideb, Brazil's school quality index. According to R7, Record's news portal, he thanked the network for keeping the event despite the absence of his opponent and said he regretted not being able to compare government plans face to face.

Debates are "more of the same," Tarcísio says

Tarcísio, of the Republicanos party, said the debate format is worn out. "The debates need a revision in terms of model, because they have become much more of the same. Is it adding anything for the voter?" the governor said, adding that a debate "cannot be just a place to provide clips for social media." On the day of the program he attended a morning meeting with young people at CIEE, a school-to-work integration center in São Paulo, according to O Globo.

The polls explain the mood of the race. According to Datafolha, Tarcísio leads by 20 percentage points. A Real Time Big Data survey published by R7 gives him 53% of first-round voting intentions, against 38% for Haddad. The only debate held so far with both candidates took place on August 9, on the Band network. Record opened a series of debates for state government races on the same night, when Record Brasília also gathered the candidates for governor of the Federal District.

The first round of Brazil's general elections, which include governorships, is scheduled for October 4. O Globo reports that more events with the two candidates are planned until election day, including on broadcast television.