Brazil election financing: Parties and candidates inject millions into campaigns

Political parties and candidates in Brazil are utilizing significant sums of money to fund current election campaigns. In the state of Goiás, 21 parties have transferred more than R$ 94 million to federal deputy candidates using electoral and party funds. The União Progressista (UB-PP) federation leads these transfers with R$ 23.3 million, followed by the Renovação Solidária (PRD-SD) federation with R$ 11 million and the PSD with R$ 9 million.

On a broader scale, candidates have contributed R$ 96 million of their own money to finance their campaigns. According to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) analyzed by Congresso em Foco, this self-financing accounts for approximately 1.7% of the R$ 5.71 billion raised so far. The largest individual contribution came from Gelson Merísio (PSB), who allocated R$ 1 million to his own campaign for the government of Santa Catarina.

Self-financing is heavily concentrated in proportional races, with candidates for state and federal deputies accounting for R$ 81.74 million, or 85.1% of the total self-donated funds.