[REVISION HISTORY]

Mato Grosso 2026 gubernatorial race

Updated 11 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-16 13:01 UTC → 2026-09-28 11:42 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The 2026 Mato Grosso gubernatorial race has seen significant shifts in candidate lineups, legal scrutiny, and polling data. While the governing coalition nominated incumbent Governor Otaviano Pivetta (Republicanos), Senator Wellington Fagundes (PL) also entered the race. Fagundes’ campaign faced internal friction after businessman Marcelo Maluf accused the senator of a “lack of respect” for breaking a party agreement regarding the vice-governor slot. Fagundes has since updated his ticket, replacing Alencar Farina with businessman Reinaldo Moraes due to legal concerns regarding Farina’s professional ties to the public health sector. Fagundes has challenged the current administration’s management of approximately R$ 3 billion from the Fund for Compensation of Export Losses (FEX) and rejected being labeled a ~~‘watermelon’—a term suggesting a hidden alliance with left-wing parties.~~ ‘watermelon’. He has also ~~advocated for increased security investments and economic dialogue with agribusiness. Recent campaign activities have~~ focused on specific policy sectors. Candidates have engaged with the Sintep-MT union to discuss education; Natasha Slhessarenko signed a commitment letter to prioritize building new schools and addressing unpaid salary reviews, while Fagundes’ representative, Fábio Gondim, proposed establishing permanent negotiation tables and reducing reliance heavily on ~~temporary teacher contracts. On economic~~ fiscal policy, ~~Fagundes is advocating for the expansion of tax incentives to include small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives,~~ criticizing Pivetta’s administration as “unjust and ~~producers.~~ immoral.” Citing State Court of Accounts data showing a high concentration of tax waivers among a few large ~~beneficiaries, he~~ beneficiaries—where 30 entities accounted for R$ 4.6 billion in 2023—Fagundes proposes ~~using~~ expanding incentives to small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, and producers to stimulate economic decentralization in the Baixada Cuiabana and less industrialized regions. Recent campaign developments include Senator Marcos Pontes officially endorsing Fagundes, citing their previous collaboration in science, technology, and the ethanol supply chain. Regarding internal party dynamics, Fagundes declined to defend fellow PL member José Medeiros following controversial remarks, stating a preference to focus on concrete proposals. Candidates have also engaged with the Sintep-MT union to discuss education, with Natasha Slhessarenko committing to new school construction and Fagundes’ representative, Fábio Gondim, proposing permanent negotiation tables.

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