“The name Obama definitely helped,” said Claudio Henrique dos Anjos, who used it to run for mayor of Belford Roxo on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. “It opened the doors for me to talk about projects. It brought a positive result.” But official results show he didn’t get a single vote, though he disputes the count. “I’ll still keep the political name Obama,” Dos Anjos said. “Not only because of the admiration I have for him, but also because it is the nickname the people gave to me. It’s how they know me.”