Ricardo Ferraço leads polls for Espírito Santo governorship

Senator Ricardo Ferraço (MDB) is leading the polls for the 2026 governorship of Espírito Santo. According to a Real Time Big Data survey released on September 9, Ferraço holds 43% of the vote in a stimulated first-round scenario, ahead of Vitória Mayor Lorenzo Pazolini (Republicanos) at 33% and Helder Salomão (PT) at 13%.

In a simulated second-round runoff between the top two candidates, Ferraço leads Pazolini with 49% against 38%. The survey, which interviewed 1,600 voters with a 2% margin of error, also noted a tie in the state for the presidency between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), though Bolsonaro leads in a simulated runoff.

Ferraço, who currently serves as governor after assuming the role following Renato Casagrande’s resignation, has a long political career in the state. His previous roles include state deputy, federal deputy, senator, and vice-governor.