On October 4th, Brazilians will vote to elect the next president, 27 governors, 54 senators and 513 federal and state or federal district deputies. If none of the gubernatorial candidates receives more than half of the votes, a runoff between the two most voted candidates will take place on October 25th. The vice-president and vice-governors will also be elected.
The presidential race has already begun, and campaign advertising officially starts today, August 16th, allowing paid online advertising, campaign rallies, and the time-restricted use of fixed sound equipment, loudspeakers and amplifiers, among other forms of campaigning.
There are four presidential debates planned for the first turn (the candidate’s participation has yet to be confirmed):
- August 23rd — Band, in partnership with TV Cultura, TV Gazeta and Jovem Pan;
- September 14th — Momento da Decisão Consortium;
- September 27th — Record;
- October 1st — Globo.
Interviews with the candidates are also expected. g1, for instance, has already interviewed Renan Santos, Romeu Zema and Ronaldo Caiado,and stated that Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) will not participate.
This election will feature 13 candidates running for presidency:
LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA (PT)
Widely known simply as Lula, the current president of Brazil is seeking his fourth term in his seventh run for presidency at 80-years-old. Born in Pernambuco, Lula moved to São Paulo as a child and became an important opposition figure during Brazil’s military regime by leading workers’ strikes.
In 1980, Lula founded the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), a left-wing party. After unsuccessful presidential runs in 1989, 1994 and 1998, he was elected president in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. In 2018, Lula was arrested in connection with Operação Lava-Jato (Operation Car Wash) and remained in prison for 580 days. His convictions were overturned in 2021.
Lula returned to the presidential race in 2022, where he narrowly defeated his biggest political rival, Jair Bolsonaro, the current president of the time and now, Lula is after his re-election in 2026.
Accompanied by vice-president candidate Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), Lula’s main commitments are the defense of national sovereignty, the expansion of social policies, revising the system of parliamentary budget amendments and regulation of social media and digital platforms.
FLÁVIO BOLSONARO (PL)
Oldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, is running for president for the first time with his father’s support. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he has been a senator since 2019 and is a member of the Partido Liberal (PL), a right wing party known for conservative views.
His campaign is mainly based on continuing his father’s political legacy, as Jair himself is not allowed to run for presidency given that he is serving a 27-year sentence for planning a coup after his defeat against Lula in 2022.
Earlier this year, The Intercept Brasil revealed text and audio messages between Flávio Bolsonaro and banker Daniel Vorcaro, accused of a fraud scheme involving R$47 billion. The messages suggest a US$24 million deal to fund a biography film about Jair Bolsonaro, with at least US$10.6 million allegedly paid.Flávio’s statements about the matter have been inconsistent, but overall he denies any involvement with the fraud.
Flávio’s vice-president candidate is Alfredo Gaspar (PL). Their main commitments include cutting public spending, classifying Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorists, building maximum-security prisons and chemical castration for convicted rapists, among others.
RENAN SANTOS (MISSÃO)
Renan Santos is a 42-years-old businessman from São Paulo and president of the Missão party, registered in 2025. He is also one of the founders and most prominent voices of the Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL), a right-wing economic liberal movement created in 2014.
Renan has a strong support on social media and has had some very controversial takes, such as “Prendeu, matou” (arrest, kill?) – a slogan in which he states that “we will kill who steals” –, “Milei in style and Bukele in substance” – when describing himself – and his wish to eliminate racial quotas.
His vice-president candidate is Aroldo Medina (Missão). Their main commitments are measures to “desfavelizar”, replacing Bolsa Família with paid public work programs and fighting organized crime.
RONALDO CAIADO (PSD)
Born in Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado, 76, comes from one of the state’s most traditional political families. Before entering politics, he was an orthopedic surgeon. He was a federal deputy, senator and, since 2019, governor of Goiás, being re-elected in 2022.
Caiado is openly opposed to PT and was a major figure in favor of Dilma Rousself’s impeachment. His main commitments, with his vice-president, Gilberto Kassab (PSD), are to classify Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorists and threats to the country’s sovereignty, build maximum security prisons, end re-elections for executive positions and others.
ROMEU ZEMA (NOVO)
Romeu Zema Neto is a 61-year-old businessman from Minas Gerais. He joined the Novo party and was elected governor of Minas Gerais in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Zema’s vice-president candidate is Eduardo Girão (Novo). Their main commitments include expanding access to firearms for rural properties, privatizing state-owned enterprises, withdrawing Brazil from BRICS and joining the OECD, and classifying criminal organizations as terrorists.
LEONARDO AVALANCHE (PRTB)
Leonardo Alves Araújo, popularly known as Leonardo Avalanche, is a 37-year-old businessman from Goiás and president of the Partido Renovador Trabalhista Brasileiro (PRTB), an economic liberal and cultural conservative party. He has never run for elected office, but gained popularity in 2024 by managing Pablo Marçal’s campaign.
Along with vice-president candidate Tenente Dalma (PRTB), his main commitments are lower taxes, fighting organized crime, strengthening public security and supporting entrepreneurship and digital content creators.
EDMILSON COSTA (PCB)
Edmilson Costa is a 76-year-old economist, author, professor and current secretary-general of the Partido Comunista Brasileiro (PCB), a communist party, from the state of Maranhão. He ran for mayor of São Paulo in 2008 and for vice-president in 2010.
Cleusa Santos (PCB) is Edmilson’s vice-president candidate and their mais commitments include expanding state control over foreign trade and the tax system, nationalizing the financial system through the creation of a “Workers’ Bank”, renationalizing privatized enterprises and transitioning toward socialism.
HERTZ DIAS (PSTU)
Hertz Dias is a 55-year-old public school history teacher, activist and rapper from Maranhão. He is one of the founders of the Movimento Hip Hop Quilombo Urbano and has been affiliated with the PSTU since 2010 and was candidate for vice-president, governor of Maranhão and mayor of São Luís, capital of Maranhão.
Hertz’s main commitments, with his vice-president candidate Vanessa Portugal (PSTU), include nationalizing the financial system, suspending public debt payments, expropriating land without compensation and replacing capitalism with a planned economy.
SAMARA MARTINS (UP)
Samara Martins is a 38-years-old dentist in Brazil’s public healthcare system (SUS) and social activist from Minas Gerais. She is vice-president and one of the founders of the Unidade Popular (UP), a far-left party, as well as national coordinator of the Frente Negra Revolucionária (Revolutionary Black Front) and she is a member of the Movimento de Mulheres Olga Benário (Olga Benário Women’s Movement), that supports victims of domestic violence.
Along with Raquel Brício (UP), her main commitments are nationalizing banks, taxing wealth, strengthening the SUS, free education, expanding housing programs and adopting a socialist platform.
AUGUSTO CURY (AVANTE)
Augusto Cury is a 67-year-old psychiatrist and self-help author from São Paulo, with more than 40 million books sold.
His main commitments, alongside vice-president candidate Júlio Delgado (Avante), include implementing a semi-presidential system, establishing an eight-year term for Supreme Federal Court (STF) justices and supporting entrepreneurship.
WILSON GRASSI (DEMOCRATA)
Wilson Grassi is a 56-year-old veterinarian and politician from São Paulo. He ran for federal deputy in 2022 and city councilor of São Paulo in 2024, but was not elected.
His vice-president candidate is Suêd Haidar (Democrata). Their main commitments include financial support for municipal schools based on exams, a single tax on financial transactions and facilitating access to mortgage financing for renters.
CLARINA BARÃO (DC)
Born in Mato Grosso, Clarina Barão is a lawyer and state party president of Democracia Cristã (DC). She became a presidential candidate after former Supreme Federal Court Justice Joaquim Barbosa withdrew from the race.
Clariana’s presidential ticket is woman-only with her vice-president candidate Fabiana Torquato (DC). Clarina has defended social causes, especially women’s rights, including combating domestic violence and supporting victims.
RUI COSTA PIMENTA (PCO)
Rui Costa Pimenta is a 69-year-old journalist from São Paulo. He participated in the student movement against the military regime, helped found the PT and later founded the Partido da Causa Operária (PCO), a Trotskyist far-left party.
His vice-president candidate is Antônio Carlos Silva (PCO). Their main commitments are based on revolutionary Marxism and opposition to imperialism, while also supporting gun ownership.
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The article above was edited by Rafaela Mina.
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