At least 8 governors withdraw from the election and remain in office until the end of their term

At least eight governors at the end of their second term have decided not to run for office in the 2026 elections and will remain in office until the end to lead their own succession.

The choice breaks with the recent pattern, in which the majority of state heads sought new positions, especially in the Senate.

The decision comes amid the disqualification period, which led to ten other governors leaving their positions to run. The group that remains out of the race brings together names that face local political impasses, have lost space in national articulations or have assessed that influence over succession may be more relevant than a candidacy.

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Among the most emblematic cases are Ratinho Junior and Eduardo Leite. Both were considered for the Presidency by the PSD, but were left out of the race and chose not to run for other positions. In Rio Grande do Sul, Leite must support his vice-president, Gabriel Souza (MDB), as a candidate for government.

In other states, remaining in office is directly linked to conflicts with vice-presidents. Governors avoided resigning so as not to transfer command to allies who became political adversaries.

This scenario appears in Rio Grande do Norte, where Fátima Bezerra (PT) decided to continue in the post after the break with vice Walter Alves (MDB), who will be a candidate for state deputy.

The double resignation would result in an indirect election for a buffer mandate, with an uncertain scenario in the Legislative Assembly.

In Maranhão, the dispute between Carlos Brandão (no party) and vice-president Felipe Camarão (PT) increased political and legal tension. Succession must occur with candidacies from opposing camps, and the governor’s permanence in office is seen as a way of maintaining control over the process.

In Alagoas, Paulo Dantas (MDB) remains in post, but the atmosphere is one of consensus. He will support the return of his predecessor, Renan Filho (MDB).

Similar situations influenced decisions in other states, such as Amazonas, Rondônia and Tocantins, where governors also face exhaustion with their deputies and chose not to give up their position.

The strategy also has an impact on the presidential election. By remaining in government, these state heads preserve the capacity for regional articulation and assembling platforms.

In the case of Fátima Bezerra, the decision included giving up a candidacy for the Senate to prioritize the construction of a favorable scenario for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the state.

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Those who leave their positions

In the group of those who left office, there are movements with a national focus. Romeu Zema anticipated his departure to try to make a presidential candidacy viable, while Ronaldo Caiado formalized his resignation after being confirmed as a candidate for Planalto.

Another group of governors chose to run for the Senate, a traditional path for those completing their second term. Names like Helder Barbalho and João Azevêdo, aligned with the federal government, are part of this strategy, while others, like Mauro Mendes, should reinforce the opposition base.

In states where there will be a re-election attempt, the scenario is also heterogeneous. In São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas seeks to renew his mandate in a competitive dispute. In the Northeast, PT governors face different degrees of difficulty, with emphasis on Ceará, where Elmano de Freitas appears behind in recent surveys.