Brazil 2026 state election campaigns

Late June pre‑candidates toured municipalities in Paraíba’s Curimataú region and in Rondônia, meeting local leaders and promising infrastructure projects. Early July parties in Paraíba formalised their tickets, and by mid‑July the field was set: five men – Cícero Lucena (MDB), Efraim Filho (PL), Lucas Ribeiro (Progressistas), Olímpio Rocha (PSOL) and Yuri Ezequiel (UP) – were named for the Paraíba governorship, the first all‑male slate since 2014. Sergipe announced its own five‑candidate slate, including incumbent governor Fábio Mitidieri (PSD). Conventions are slated for July 20–August 5; the MDB will hold its on August 5 with Lucena‑Diogo Cunha Lima, the PL on August 2 naming Efraim Filho for governor and Marcelo Queiroga for Senate, while UP and Podemos confirmed Yuri Ezequiel. Progressistas governor‑candidate Lucas Ribeiro is pursuing a consensus vice‑governor.

TRE‑PB met on July 15 to align registration, security and address alleged criminal infiltration of party structures. Parties reiterated the July 20–August 5 schedule on July 10, noting the continued absence of female gubernatorial contenders. PL pre‑candidate Toni Rodrigues of Piauí publicly rejected secret PL‑PP alliance talks, calling them a “game of marked cards”.

On July 15, PL pre‑candidate Tião Bocalom for Acre visited the isolated municipality of Marechal Thaumaturgo, underscoring its lack of road access, the delayed footbridge linking the airport, and the need for investment in remote towns.

By July 28, Paraíba campaigns were organised around three electoral zones – João Pessoa, Campina Grande/Cariri and the Sertão. Incumbent governor Lucas Ribeiro intensified outreach in the capital while retaining Sertão support; former mayor Cícero Lucena focused on Campina Grande and Cariri. In Rio de Janeiro, PSD governor‑candidate Eduardo Paes named lawyer Jane Reis as running mate to broaden appeal in the Baixada Fluminense and among evangelical voters, despite her being under investigation in a federal money‑laundering probe.