{{Short description|Brazilian senator}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Mecias de Jesus | image = Senador Mecias de Jesus.jpg | caption = de Jesus in 2019 | office = Senator for Roraima | term_start = 1 February 2019 | term_end = | office1 = State Deputy for Roraima | term_start1 = 1 February 1995 | term_end1 = 31 January 2019 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|2|8|df=yes}} | birth_place = Graça Aranha, Maranhão, Brazil | death_date = | death_place = | party = PRB (2006–) }}
'''Antonio Mecias Pereira de Jesus''' (born 8 February 1962) more commonly known as '''Mecias de Jesus''' is a federal senator of Brazil representing the state of Roraima. He previously served in the state legislature from 1995 to 2019.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|title=MECIAS DE JESUS – Biografia|url=https://al.rr.leg.br/deputados-estaduais-2015/mecias-de-jesus/|work=Assembla Legislatva do Roraima|language=Portuguese|accessdate=9 May 2019}}</ref>
==Personal life== de Jesus was born in Graça Aranha.<ref name=bio/> Prior to becoming a politician, Marcos Rogério worked as a financial adviser.<ref name=bio/> In his youth he also worked as a shoeshine, farmer, waiter and gardener.<ref name=prb>{{cite web|title=Mecias de Jesus|url=https://www.prb10.org.br/quem_e_quem/mecias-de-jesus-2/|work=PRB|language=Portuguese|accessdate=9 May 2019}}</ref> His son Johnathan de Jesus is also a politician, being elected to the federal chamber of deputies in 2010.<ref name=bio/> Unlike most PRB politicians who belong to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, de Jesus and his family belong to the Nova Vida Baptist church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Voz da Universal no Congresso, PRB quer dobrar número de prefeitos e mira 2014|url=https://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/politica/2012-07-15/voz-da-universal-no-congresso-prb-quer-dobrar-numero-de-prefeitos-e-mira-2014.html|publisher=Último Segundo|language=Portuguese|first=Fábio|last=Matos|work=IG São Paulo|date=15 July 2012|accessdate=9 May 2019}}</ref>
==Political career== In 2017 de Jesus proposed a bill that would exempt churches from paying water, electricity, and telephone taxes in Roraima.<ref>{{cite web|title=Deputado quer isentar igrejas de pagarem imposto sobre água, luz e telefone em Roraima|url=https://g1.globo.com/rr/roraima/noticia/deputado-quer-isentar-igrejas-de-pagarem-imposto-sobre-agua-luz-e-telefone-em-roraima.ghtml|date=21 September 2017|accessdate=9 May 2019|language=Portuguese|publisher=O Globo|trans-title=Deputy wants to exempt churches from paying water, electricity and telephone taxes in Roraima}}</ref> The bill caused some controversy as Brazil is officially a secular state and was eventually not passed.
de Jesus is the president of the PRB party in the state of Roraima.<ref name=prb/>
In the 2018 Brazilian general election de Jesus was elected to the federal senate with 85,366 votes.<ref name=prb/> He was one of six new Evangelical members elected to the federal senate in that election.<ref name=elect>{{cite web|title=De Araguacema -TO, Pastor Zequinha Marinho é eleito Senador no Pará|trans-title=From Araguacema -TO, Pastor Zequinha Marinho is elected Senator in Pará|url=https://www.jmnoticia.com.br/2018/10/08/de-araguacema-to-pastor-zequinha-marinho-e-eleito-senador-no-para/|publisher=JM Notícia|language=Portuguese|date=8 October 2018|accessdate=1 March 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Federal Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Jesus, Mecias}} Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:People from Maranhão Category:Brazilian Baptists Category:Financial advisors Category:Republicans (Brazil) politicians Category:Members of the Federal Senate (Brazil) Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Roraima
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