2026 Pernambuco general election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 Pernambuco general election will be held in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, on Sunday 4 October 2026. Voters will elect a Governor, Vice Governor, two Senators, 25 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies, and 49 Legislative Assembly members. If no candidate for president or governor receives a majority of the valid votes in the first round, a runoff election is held on 25 October.
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Gubernatorial election | ||||||||||
4 October 2026 (first round)
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Senatorial election | ||||||||||
4 October 2026 (one-only round)
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Incumbent governor Raquel Lyra of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), elected in 2022 with 58.70% of the vote in the second round, is eligible to run for a second term.[1] Incumbent senators Humberto Costa of the Workers' Party (PT) and Fernando Dueire of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), who assumed Jarbas Vasconcelos' seat upon his retirement, are completing their eight-year terms and are eligible to run for reelection.
Background
Electoral calendar
Note: This section only presents the main dates of the 2026 electoral calendar, check the TSE official website (in Portuguese) and other official sources for detailed information.
| Electoral calendar | |
|---|---|
| 15 May | Start of crowdfunding of candidates |
| 20 July to 5 August | Party conventions for choosing candidates and coalitions |
| 16 August to 1 October | Period of exhibition of free electoral propaganda on radio, television and on the internet related to the first round |
| 4 October | First round of 2026 elections |
| 9 October to 23 October | Period of exhibition of free electoral propaganda on radio, television and on the internet related to a possible second round |
| 25 October | Possible second round of 2026 elections |
| until 19 December | Delivery of electoral diplomas for those who were elected in the 2026 elections by the Brazilian Election Justice |
Governor
Incumbent governor Raquel Lyra was elected in the second round of the 2022 election with 58.70% of the vote, defeating Marília Arraes of Solidarity. Lyra, a former mayor of Caruaru and state deputy, became the first woman to govern the state, running on a centrist platform that defeated the traditional Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) political machine. Because she is currently serving her first term, she is eligible to run for reelection in 2026.[2]
Lyra governs alongside Vice Governor Priscila Krause, who was elected on the Cidadania ticket in 2022. In a strategic realignment of the state's political forces, Krause affiliated with the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) in March 2025, just one day before Governor Lyra left that same party to join the Social Democratic Party (PSD). This coordinated move maintained the coalition's structural integrity while bringing the administration closer to the federal government's base, led by Gilberto Kassab's PSD.[3]
Senator
Senators in Brazil serve an 8-year term, meaning the incumbents were elected in 2018.
Humberto Costa, a physician and former Minister of Health, was ree-elected to the Senate in 2018 as a member of the Workers' Party (PT). A historic leader of the left in the Northeast, he has focused his mandate on public health defense and human rights, first being elected in 2010. He is eligible for reelection and remains a key figure in the state's alliance with the Lula administration.[4]
Fernando Dueire, an economist and civil servant, currently holds the second Senate seat. He was elected in 2018 as the first alternate to veteran politician Jarbas Vasconcelos (MDB). Dueire assumed the office permanently in September 2023 after Vasconcelos retired from public life due to health issues. A long-time technical ally of Jarbas, Dueire has maintained the MDB's representation in the upper house and is eligible to run for a full term.[5][6]
Gubernatorial candidates
Declared candidates
| No. | Governor | Previous office | Vice Governor | Previous office | Coalition | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party Federation |
Candidate | Party Federation |
Candidate | |||||||||
| 14 | MISSÃO |  |
Renan Hallais | No previous office | MISSÃO |  |
Lucas Xavier | No previous office | N/a | [7] | ||
| 16 | PSTU |  |
Guilherme Fonseca | No previous office | PSTU |  |
Valéria Félix | No previous office | N/a | [8] | ||
| 29 | PCO | .jpg) |
Victor Assis | No previous office | PCO |  |
TBC | N/a | N/a | [9] | ||
| 35 | Democrata |  |
Professor Jeremias | No previous office | Democrata |  |
Carlos Alberto | No previous office | N/a | [10] | ||
| 40 | PSB |  |
João Campos | Mayor of Recife (2021–2026) |
REP |  |
Carlos Costa | No previous office | Popular Front of Pernambuco (PSB, REP, FE Brasil (PT, PCdoB and PV), PDT, MDB, Fed. Solidary Renewal (PRD and SD)),MOBILIZA and AGIR |
[11][12][13] | ||
| 50 | PSOL Fed. PSOL REDE |
 |
Ivan Moraes | City Councillor of Recife (2017–2021) |
REDE Fed. PSOL REDE |
 |
Alice Gabino | No previous office | Pernambuco Fighting Front (Fed. PSOL REDE (PSOL and REDE) and PCB) |
[14][15][16] | ||
| 55 | PSD |  |
Raquel Lyra | Governor of Pernambuco (2023–present) |
PSD |  |
Priscila Krause | Vice Governor of Pernambuco (2023–present) |
Pernambuco at Heart (PSD, Fed. UPB (UNIÃO and PP), PODE, Fed PSDB-CIDADANIA(PSDB and Cidadania )and AVANTE |
[17][18] | ||
| 80 | UP |  |
Professora Camila | No previous office | UP |  |
Marcelo Pessoa | No previous office | N/a | [19] | ||
- João Campos, civil engineer, President of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) since 2025, former Mayor of Recife (2021–2026), and former Federal Deputy (2019–2020).[20]
- Raquel Lyra, lawyer and former police chief, Governor of Pernambuco since 2023, former Mayor of Caruaru (2017–2022), and former State Deputy (2011–2016).[21]
- Ivan Moraes, journalist, writer, creator and presenter of the television program Pé Na Rua, and former Recife City Councilor (2017–2024).[22]
Declined or withdrew
- Eduardo Moura, journalist and Recife City Councilor since 2025 (running for Federal Deputy).[23]
Senatorial candidates
Declared candidates
| No. | Senator | Previous office | Alternate | Coalition | Ref. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party Federation |
Candidate | Party | Candidate | |||||||
| 111 | PP UPB |
 |
Eduardo da Fonte | Federal Deputy (2007–2026) |
UNIÃO | Carlos Andrade Lima | Pernambuco at Heart (PSD, Fed. UPB (UNIÃO and PP), PODE, and AVANTE) |
[24][25] | ||
| PP | Irmã Jane | |||||||||
| 123 | PDT | _(cropped).jpg) |
Marília Arraes | Federal Deputy (2019–2023) |
PSB | Abel Neto | Popular Front of Pernambuco (PSB, REP, FE Brasil (PT, PCdoB and PV), PDT, MDB, and Fed. Solidary Renewal (PRD and SD)) |
[11] | ||
| PSB | Edjane Figueiredo | |||||||||
| 130 | PT FE Brasil |
 |
Humberto Costa | Senator (2011–present) |
MDB | Luciano Bivar | Popular Front of Pernambuco (PSB, REP, FE Brasil (PT, PCdoB and PV), PDT, MDB, and Fed. Solidary Renewal (PRD and SD)) |
[11] | ||
| PT | Professor Manoel Soares | |||||||||
| 180 | REDE Fed. PSOL REDE |
 |
Paulo Rubem Santiago | Federal Deputy (2003–2015) |
PCB | Cristiano Romão | Pernambuco Fighting Front (Fed. PSOL REDE (PSOL and REDE) and PCB) |
[15] | ||
| PSOL | Rafah Ramos | |||||||||
| 222 | PL | .jpg) |
Mendonça Filho | Federal Deputy (1995–1998, 2011–2019, 2023–present) |
PL | Adriana Ferreira | N/a | [26] | ||
| PL | Alcides Cardoso | |||||||||
| 300 | NOVO | .jpg) |
Carlos Sant'Anna | No previous office | NOVO | Carla Pinheiro | N/a | [27] | ||
| NOVO | Hermes Alves | |||||||||
| 333 | MOBILIZA | .jpg) |
Pastor Wellington | No previous office | TBC | TBC | N/a | [28] | ||
| TBC | TBC | |||||||||
| 355 | Democrata | |
Pastor Gilvan Costa | No previous office | Democrata | Laelson Costa | N/a | [10] | ||
| Democrata | Pastora Simea Carvalho | |||||||||
| 555 | PSD | .jpg) |
Túlio Gadêlha | Federal Deputy (2019–2026) |
PSD | Dulci Amorim | Pernambuco at Heart (PSD, Fed. UPB (UNIÃO and PP), PODE, and AVANTE) |
[29][30] | ||
| AVANTE | Cacique Marcelo Pankararu | |||||||||
| 800 | UP | |
Samuel Timoteo | No previous office | UP | Dra. Gau | N/a | |||
| UP | Professor Bruno | |||||||||
| 801 | UP | |
Gorett Bitú | No previous office | UP | Professor Natanael Sarmento | N/a | |||
| UP | Sandra Ramos | |||||||||
Declined or withdrew
- Silvio Costa Filho, civil engineer, former Minister of Ports and Airports (2023–2025), and Federal Deputy since 2019 (running for Federal Deputy).[31]
- Gilson Machado Neto, veterinarian and entrepreneur, former Minister of Tourism (2020–2022), former President of Embratur (2019–2020), and candidate for Mayor of Recife in 2024 (running for Federal Deputy).[32]
- Armando Monteiro Neto, industrialist and economist, former Senator for Pernambuco (2011–2019), former Federal Deputy (1999–2011), former Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (2015–2016), and candidate for Governor of Pernambuco in 2014 and 2018.[33]
- Silvio Nascimento (PL), President of Embratur (2023–2024) and City Councillor of Caruaru. He abandoned his Senate bid to run for the Chamber of Deputies.[34]
- Miguel Coelho (UNIÃO), Mayor of Petrolina (2017–2024) and former State Deputy. He withdrew so that the unresolved position of the UPB federation would not damage governor Raquel Lyra's candidacy.
Opinion polling
Governor
2026
| Pollster firm | Polling period | Campos PSB |
Lyra PSD |
Moura NOVO |
Moraes PSOL |
Others | Blank Null Undec. |
Error | Sample size | Lead | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DataTrends | 30 Apr–3 May | 42 | 36 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 21 | ±1.6 pp | 4,000 | 6 | [35] |
| Quaest | 22–26 Apr | 42 | 34 | 3 | 1 | N/a | 20 | ±3 pp | 900 | 8 | [36] |
| Datafolha | 13–15 Apr | 50 | 38 | 3 | 2 | N/a | 7 | ±3 pp | 1,022 | 12 | [37] |
| Real Time Big Data | 6–7 Apr | 50 | 33 | 8 | 2 | N/a | 7 | ±3 pp | 1,600 | 17 | [38] |
| Veritá | 24–30 Mar | 35.4 | 35.4 | N/a | 3.5 | 9.0[a] | 16.7 | ±2.5 pp | 2,010 | Tie | [39] |
| DataTrends | 23–24 Feb | 48 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 1[b] | 10 | ±2.83 pp | 1,200 | 13 | [40] |
| Real Time Big Data | 9–10 Feb | 51 | 31 | 8 | 3 | N/a | 7 | ±2 pp | 2,000 | 20 | [41] |
| Datafolha | 2–5 Feb | 47 | 35 | 5 | 1 | N/a | 12 | ±3 pp | 1,022 | 12 | [42] |
2025
| Pollster firm | Polling period | Campos PSB |
Lyra PSD |
Moura NOVO |
Moraes PSOL |
Others | Blank Null Undec. |
Error | Sample size | Lead | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Time Big Data | 29–30 Dec | 56 | 28 | 7 | 3 | N/a | 6 | ±3 pp | 1,200 | 28 | [43] |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 14–18 Dec | 53.1 | 31.0 | 3.9 | 0.9 | N/a | 11.1 | ±2.6 pp | 1,502 | 22.1 | [44] |
| Real Time Big Data | 9–10 Dec | 55 | 28 | 7 | 3 | N/a | 7 | ±3 pp | 1,200 | 27 | [45] |
| Real Time Big Data | 20–22 Sep | 59 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 5[c] | 6 | ±3 pp | 1,200 | 35 | [46] |
| Quaest | 13–17 Aug | 55 | 24 | 4 | N/a | 6[d] | 11 | ±3 pp | 1,104 | 31 | [47] |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 1–5 Aug | 57.0 | 24.0 | 3.0 | N/a | 6.2[e] | 9.8 | ±2.6 pp | 1,510 | 33.0 | [48] |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 8–12 Mar | 60 | 22.1 | N/a | N/a | 6.1[f] | 10.5 | ±2.5 pp | 1,652 | 37.9 | [49] |
| Quaest | 19–23 Feb | 56 | 28 | N/a | N/a | 5[g] | 11 | ±3 pp | 1,104 | 28 | [50] |
Senate
2026
| Pollster firm | Polling period | Marília PDT |
Costa PT |
Coelho UNIÃO |
Fonte PP |
Armando PODE |
Anderson PL |
Mendonça PL |
Túlio PSD |
Dueire PSD |
Others | Blank Null Undec. |
Error | Sample | Lead | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaest | 22–26 Apr | 18 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 6 | N/a | 6[a] | 26 | ±3 pp | 900 | 6 | [51] |
| 21 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 4 | N/a | N/a | 6 | N/a | 6[b] | 36 | 8 | |||||
| 20 | 12 | N/a | 6 | 6 | N/a | 9 | 6 | N/a | 8[c] | 33 | 8 | |||||
| Datafolha | 13–15 Apr | 42 | 32 | N/a | 17 | 13 | 14 | N/a | 5 | 5 | 9 | 57 | ±3 pp | 1,022 | 10 | [37] |
| 40 | 31 | 16 | N/a | 13 | 14 | N/a | 11 | 5 | 10 | 58 | 9 | |||||
| 41 | 31 | N/a | 17 | 14 | N/a | 16 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 56 | 10 | |||||
| 41 | 31 | 16 | N/a | 12 | N/a | 15 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 58 | 10 | |||||
| Instituto Opinião | 14–17 Apr | 45.5 | 26.3 | 22.9 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | ±2.2 pp | 2,000 | 19.2 | [52] |
| Real Time Big Data | 7–8 Apr | 27 | 17 | 20 | N/a | N/a | 18 | 12 | N/a | N/a | N/a | 6 | ±2 pp | 1,600 | 7 | [38] |
| 29 | 17 | N/a | 11 | N/a | 19 | 15 | N/a | N/a | N/a | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 28 | 17 | 21 | N/a | N/a | 19 | N/a | 8 | N/a | N/a | 7 | 7 | |||||
| Simplex | 3–7 Apr | ~16 | ~12 | 9 | ~5 | N/a | 7 | N/a | 6 | N/a | N/a | 45 | ±3 pp | 1,067 | ~3 | [53] |
| Veritá | 24–30 Mar | 25.0 | 25.2 | 18.8 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 31.0 | ±2.5 pp | 2,010 | 0.2 | [54] |
| April 4 | Fernando Dueire leaves the Brazilian Democratic Movement for the Social Democratic Party[55] | |||||||||||||||
| April 1 | Túlio Gadêlha leaves the Sustainability Network for the Social Democratic Party[56] | |||||||||||||||
| March 19 | Silvio Costa Filho (Republicans) announces run for Federal Deputy, abandoning run for Senate[57] | |||||||||||||||
| March 12 | Marília Arraes leaves Solidarity, a part of the Solidary Renewal Federation, for the Democratic Labour Party[58] | |||||||||||||||
| Pollster firm | Polling period | Marília SD |
Costa PT |
Coelho UNIÃO |
Fonte PP |
Armando PODE |
Anderson PL |
Gilson PL |
Silvio REP |
Dueire MDB |
Others | Blank Null Undec. |
Error | Sample | Lead | Link |
| Real Time Big Data | 9–10 Feb | N/a | 23 | N/a | 13 | N/a | 19 | N/a | 21 | N/a | N/a | 24 | ±2 pp | 2,000 | 2 | [41] |
| N/a | 24 | N/a | N/a | N/a | 19 | N/a | 21 | 9 | N/a | 27 | 3 | |||||
| N/a | 24 | N/a | 14 | N/a | N/a | N/a | 21 | N/a | N/a | 24 | 3 | |||||
| N/a | 24 | 24 | N/a | N/a | 20 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 22 | Tie | |||||
| 27 | 21 | N/a | 13 | N/a | 21 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 18 | 6 | |||||
| Datafolha | 2–5 Feb | 36 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 11 | N/a | 10 | 2 | 14[d] | 55 | ±3 pp | 1,022 | 12 | [59] |
2025
| Pollster firm | Polling period | Marília SD |
Costa PT |
Coelho UNIÃO |
Fonte PP |
Anderson PL |
Gilson PL |
Silvio REP |
Dueire MDB |
Others | Blank Null Undec. |
Error | Sample | Lead | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Time Big Data | 29–30 Dec 2025 | N/a | 23 | N/a | 14 | 18 | N/a | 20 | N/a | N/a | 25 | ±3 pp | 1,200 | 3 | [60] |
| N/a | 24 | N/a | N/a | 18 | N/a | 20 | 10 | N/a | 28 | 4 | |||||
| N/a | 24 | N/a | 14 | N/a | 17 | 20 | N/a | N/a | 25 | 4 | |||||
| N/a | 24 | 24 | 10 | 20 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 22 | Tie | |||||
| 26 | 21 | N/a | 15 | 21 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 17 | 5 | |||||
| Real Time Big Data | 9–10 Dec 2025 | N/a | 24 | N/a | 15 | 17 | N/a | 19 | N/a | N/a | 25 | ±3 pp | 1,200 | 5 | [61] |
| N/a | 25 | N/a | N/a | 18 | N/a | 20 | 9 | N/a | 28 | 5 | |||||
| N/a | 24 | N/a | 14 | N/a | 17 | 20 | N/a | N/a | 25 | 4 | |||||
| 26 | 21 | N/a | N/a | 21 | N/a | N/a | 11 | N/a | 21 | Tie | |||||
| N/a | 25 | N/a | 16 | N/a | N/a | 21 | 9 | N/a | 29 | 4 | |||||
| Paraná Pesquisas | 14–18 Dec 2025 | 40.4 | 36.4 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 17.8 | ±2.6 pp | 1,502 | 4.0 | [62] |
| Paraná Pesquisas | 1–5 Aug 2025 | N/a | 43.2 | 36.7 | N/a | N/a | 28.4 | 20.5 | N/a | N/a | 24.3 | ±2.6 pp | 1,510 | 6.5 | [63] |