In Brazil, the mayor is the chief executive of the smallest territorial unit—the municipality ()—and holds executive powers of the local government, in a "strong mayor-council" arrangement. In Portuguese, the mayor is called the prefeito (if male) or prefeita (if female), while the government itself is termed the prefeitura.

The current system of mayor and council (called the câmara municipal) dates from the 1930 Revolution and the Vargas era, albeit with changes how elections are conducted. Until 1982, Brazilian mayors were usually elected by the local population, with the exception of state capitals, international border towns, and "national security zones" (which included strategic mining places).

With the end of the military dictatorship and enacting of the 1988 Constitution, all mayors and councillors in the nation are elected every four years. Mayors are elected by a first past the post system in most municipalities—however, if it has more than 200,000 registered voters, an outright majority is needed to win or the vote will go to a second round runoff election. The most recent election was held in 2024.

The federal capital, Brasília, has no mayor; instead, executive duties are carried out by the governor of the Federal District.

The insular district of Fernando de Noronha, which belongs to the state of Pernambuco, does not have a mayor but has an administrator appointed by the governor. The administrator performs the duties of a mayor during a four-year term, and like Brasília, the district does not have municipal elections.

In Brazil, mayors of larger cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, have considerable influence in national politics and are usually potential presidential candidates.

Mayors of Brazilian state capitals as of July 2025 Town State Mayor Photo PartySoutheast capitalsBelo Horizonte Minas Gerais Álvaro Damião * Brazil Union (UNIÃO)Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes Social Democratic Party (PSD)São Paulo São Paulo Ricardo Nunes ** Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) Vitória Espírito Santo Lorenzo Pazolini Republicans (PRB)South capitals Curitiba Paraná Eduardo Pimentel Social Democratic Party (PSD)== Florianópolis == Santa Catarina Topázio Neto Social Democratic Party (PSD) Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Sebastião Melo Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB)Northeast capitals Aracaju Sergipe Emília Corrêa Liberal Party (PL)Fortaleza Ceará Evandro Leitão Workers' Party (PT)João Pessoa Paraíba Cícero Lucena Progressives (PP)Maceió Alagoas João Henrique Caldas Liberal Party (PL)Natal Rio Grande do Norte Paulo Eduardo Freire Brazil Union (UNIÃO) Recife Pernambuco João Henrique Campos Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB)Salvador Bahia Bruno Soares Reis Brazil Union (UNIÃO) São Luís Maranhão Eduardo Braide Social Democratic Party (PSD)Teresina Piauí Silvio Mendes Brazil Union (UNIÃO)North capitals Belém Pará Igor Normando Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB)Boa Vista Roraima Arthur Henrique Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB)Macapá Amapá Antônio Furlan Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB)Manaus Amazonas David Almeida Avante Palmas Tocantins Eduardo Siqueira CamposPodemosPorto Velho Rondônia Hildon de Lima Chaves Social Democratic Party (PSD) Rio Branco Acre Tião Bocalom Liberal Party (PL)Center-West capitals Campo Grande Mato Grosso do Sul Adriane Lopes Progressives (PP) Cuiabá Mato Grosso Abilio Brunini Liberal Party (PL) Goiânia Goiás Sandro Mabel Brazil Union (UNIÃO) * Álvaro Damião of the (UNIÃO) succeeded Fuad Noman in 2025, after the death of the incumbent.

** Ricardo Nunes of the (MDB) succeeded Bruno Covas in 2021, after the death of the incumbent.

See also List of mayors of Rio de Janeiro List of mayors of São Paulo (city council)

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