[REVISION HISTORY]

Mato Grosso 2026 gubernatorial race

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-11 17:41 UTC → 2026-08-11 22:11 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early July 2026, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court maintained campaign-spending ceilings for Mato Grosso’s gubernatorial candidates at R$ 7.115 million for the first round and R$ 3.557 million for a runoff. The period saw the pre-candidacy of former Cuiabá mayor Emanuel Pinheiro (PSD) and Senator Wellington Fagundes (PL). By early August, the race faced internal friction when businessman Marcelo Maluf accused Fagundes of breaking a party agreement by removing him from the vice-governor slot, labeling the move a “lack of respect” for political commitments. Meanwhile, the governing coalition nominated incumbent Governor Otaviano Pivetta (Republicanos) for governor. The Senate race drew ten candidates, including former governors Mauro Mendes (União Brasil) and Reinaldo Azambuja (PL), with the latter leading polls at 30%. In a significant realignment, Federal Deputy Fábio Garcia officially withdrew from the running for vice-governor on Pivetta’s ticket to focus on his reelection bid for the Chamber of Deputies. This decision was driven by judicial restrictions imposed by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino, which prohibit communication and proximity between Garcia, former Governor Mauro Mendes, and former Chief of Staff Mauro Carvalho. Garcia stated these legal constraints would make a joint campaign “unfeasible.” Pivetta described the decision as consensual following meetings with Mauro Mendes. This shift occurs amid the pressure of ‘Operação Heritage,’ an a Federal Police investigation into a R$ 308 million tax-credit deal involving the telecommunications company Oi. While Mendes has denied ~~involvement in the deal,~~ involvement, Pivetta expressed sadness over the investigation’s impact on his ~~associates while maintaining their innocence.~~ associates. Following Garcia’s departure, the coalition ~~faces the challenge of redistributing his significant voter base, and Pivetta~~ is ~~expected~~ considering candidates such as Federal Deputy Gisela Simona, Alessandra Ferreira, and Rogério Gallo to ~~announce a new vice-gubernatorial candidate shortly.~~ recompose the ticket.

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