Governor races in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná tighten

In Mato Grosso do Sul, incumbent Governor Eduardo Riedel (PP) remains ahead in the 2026 gubernatorial contest, holding 46.4% of voter intention in the latest Ranking Brasil poll. Former senator Fábio Trad (PT) is the nearest challenger with 20.8%, while other candidates register single‑digit support. The poll shows Riedel's lead narrowing slightly from earlier months, but still giving him a clear first‑round advantage.

In Paraná, the succession battle has moved onto social media. Former Curitiba mayor Rafael Greca (MDB), state governor Ratinho Jr. (PSD) and former judge Sergio Moro (PL) each posted variations of a viral "Empire State" meme to signal their positions and criticize potential vice‑presidential pairings. Their posts coincided with a filing at the Paraná Regional Electoral Court seeking suspension of a Vox Brasil poll that allegedly mis‑represented candidate alignments, raising concerns over methodological bias.

Both stories illustrate how Brazil's state-level elections are being shaped by opinion polling and digital campaigning ahead of the 2026 national vote.