Gov. Bev Perdue defeated Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory for a seat in North Carolina that her party has held for the past 15 years.

WSJ: Democrats Retain Majority As 11 Gubernatorial Races Near Finish

In 2005, Mr Lula made her his chief of staff, a post she held until March 2010, when she launched her campaign for the presidency as the Workers Party (PT) candidate.

BBC: Brazil country profile