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Cadu de Lula elected Governor of Rio Grande do Norte
Carlos Eduardo Xavier, known politically as Cadu de Lula (PT), has been elected Governor of Rio Grande do Norte following a close second-round contest in the 2026 elections. He secured approximately 50.7% of the valid votes, defeating Allyson Bezerra (União Brasil), who received roughly 49.3%.
The result marks a significant political reversal, as Bezerra had led the first round by a narrow margin of less than one percentage point. Cadu de Lula, a career tax auditor and former State Secretary of Finance under Fátima Bezerra, will assume office on January 6, 2027, alongside Vice-Governor Larissa Rosado (PSB).
His victory ensures the continuity of the Workers' Party (PT) in the state government. The campaign successfully leveraged the political brand of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to mobilize voters and bridge the gap from the first round.
Entities
Allyson Bezerra · Cadu de Lula · Fátima Bezerra · Larissa Rosado · Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva · Martha Danyelle · Rio Grande do Norte · Tribunal Regional Eleitoral do Rio Grande do Norte · Tribunal Superior Eleitoral · União Brasil
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] In the first round, Allyson Bezerra received 733,809 votes (36.94%). www.metropoles.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Governor Fátima Bezerra voted in Natal.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cadu de Lula voted in Natal. www.metropoles.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The margin of error for the MetaData/Grupo Dial poll is 2.5 percentage points.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Allyson Bezerra voted in Mossoró. www.metropoles.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A MetaData/Grupo Dial poll showed Cadu de Lula with 46.3% and Allyson Bezerra with 43.5%.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The second round election determines the state executive for the next four years. www.metropoles.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] In the first round, Cadu de Lula received 718,300 votes (36.16%). www.metropoles.com