The 2026 Rio de Janeiro general election were held on 4 October 2026 in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Voters elected a Governor, a Vice-Governor, two Senators, 46 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies, and 70 Legislative Assembly members. As no candidate for Governor received a majority of the valid votes in the first round, a runoff election will be held on 25 October.
Following the Cláudio Castro electoral annulment case in March 2026, Ricardo Couto was made interim Governor. Couto is not running for a full term. Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) and Carlos Portinho (PL) (who assumed the seat following the death of Arolde de Oliveira in 2020) are completing their eight-year terms as Senators. Flávio Bolsonaro is running for President. Carlos Portinho was for re-elected as Senator alongside federal deputy Carlos Jordy.
State deputy Douglas Ruas and former mayor Eduardo Paes are running for Governor in the second round. However, if the votes cast to former governor Anthony Garotinho are declared null by the Superior Electoral Court, Ruas can be declared governor-elect in the first round.
Background
Electoral calendar
Electoral calendar15 MayStart of crowdfunding of candidates20 July to 5 AugustParty conventions for choosing candidates and coalitions16 August to 1 OctoberPeriod of exhibition of free electoral propaganda on radio, television and on the internet related to the first round4 OctoberFirst round of 2026 elections9 October to 23 OctoberPeriod of exhibition of free electoral propaganda on radio, television and on the internet related to the second round25 OctoberSecond round of 2026 electionsuntil 19 DecemberDelivery of electoral diplomas for those who were elected in the 2026 elections by the Brazilian Election Justice
Governor Incumbent Governor Cláudio Castro of the Liberal Party was elected in the first round of the 2022 election with 58.67% of the vote, defeating Marcelo Freixo of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). Castro, who was originally elected as Vice-Governor in 2018 on the same ticket as Wilson Witzel, assumed the Governorship permanently in May 2021 following Witzel's impeachment and removal from office. Because he served the remainder of Witzel's term and was reelected for a full term in 2022, he is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive period in executive office.
Castro's Vice-Governor after the 2022 election was Thiago Pampolha, who had also been the State Secretary of the Environment since 2021. In 2024, Thiago Pampolha switched from the Brazil Union (União) to the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB). This move caused significant political friction with Castro and led to Pampolha's dismissal from the State Secretariat of the Environment in March 2024. Pampolha was appointed to the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Accounts in May 2025, which caused him to resign as Vice-Governor.
Pampolha's resignation opened a path for the President of the Legislative Assembly, Rodrigo Bacellar (Brazil Union), to take over as Governor if Castro also resigned or was removed from office. However, Rodrigo Bacellar was arrested by the Federal Police in December 2025 on suspicion of leaking classified information about criminal investigations to the Comando Vermelho; He was also removed from office as President of the Legislative Assembly. Guilherme Delaroli (Liberal Party) took over as interim President of the Legislative Assembly following Bacellar's arrest.
On 23 March 2026, Governor Cláudio Castro resigned from office, stating that he would run for the Senate in that year's election amid an ongoing case before the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) that could have led to his removal from office. The following day, on 24 March 2026, the TSE convicted Castro and Thiago Pampolha by a 5–2 vote, imposing an eight-year ban from holding public office on both. The Court also annulled Rodrigo Bacellar’s mandate as a state deputy on the same charges. Control of Guanabara Palace then passed to Ricardo Couto de Castro, then-President of the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro.
Castro's resignation would, according to state law, ordinarily cause an indirect election to be held in the Legislative Assembly; However, were he to be removed from office by the Superior Electoral Court, there would instead be a direct election. Because he resigned the day before he was convicted, there was a legal impasse as to what form the special election would take. On 17 April 2026, Douglas Ruas (PL) was elected President of the Legislative Assembly, but Cristiano Zanin issued an injunction which kept Ricardo Couto in office as interim Governor until the Supreme Federal Court decided on which form the special election would take. Couto remains in office as interim Governor as of September 2026.
Legislative Assembly The result of the 2022 election and the situation as of April 2026 in the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro is given below. The deadline for legislators to switch party affiliation before the 2026 election was on 4 April 2026.
Senator Senators in Brazil serve an 8-year term, meaning the incumbents were elected in 2018. The two Senatorial candidates with the most votes will become Senators, without the need for a majority or any possibility of a second round.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was elected to the Senate in 2018. A prominent figure in the Liberal Party (PL), he was eligible for re-election. In December 2025, however, he was announced as his father's candidate in the 2026 presidential election.
Carlos Portinho (Liberal Party), a lawyer specializing in sports law, holds the second Senate seat as of March 2026. He was elected as the first alternate to Arolde de Oliveira (PSD) in 2018. Portinho assumed the office permanently in November 2020 after Oliveira died from complications of COVID-19. He is running for a full term.
Gubernatorial candidates GovernorVice GovernorCoalitionPartiesCandidatePartyFederationRelevant officesCandidatePartyFederation14Coronel BusnelloJoão Jacques Soares BusnelloMISSÃOBombeiro Rafa LuzRafael Barros Silva da LuzMISSÃO16Cyro GarciaCyro GarciaPSTUPerciliana RodriguesPerciliana Costa RodriguesPSTU22Douglas RuasDouglas Ruas dos SantosPL Municipal Secretary of Integrated Management and Special Projects of São Gonçalo (2021–2022); State Secretary of Cities of Rio de Janeiro (2023–2026); State Deputy of Rio de Janeiro (2023–2026); President of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (2026).Fernanda LoubackFernanda Anchieta Louback MicheliniPL Councillor of Niterói (2025–2026).Rio Real(PL, Avante, PODE, Agir, MOBILIZA)29Luan MonteiroLuan Monteiro Paschoal PiresPCOCaetano AlbuquerqueCaetano Sigiliano AlbuquerquePCO30André MarinhoAndré Bourguignon MarinhoNOVOTenente Coronel ErigreyceErigreyce de AlcântaraNOVO50William SiriWilliam Carlos Brum BispoPSOLPSOL REDE Fed. Councillor of Rio de Janeiro (2021–2026).Juliana CarvalhoJuliana CarvalhoPSOLPSOL REDE Fed.PSOL REDE Federation(PSOL and REDE)55Eduardo PaesEduardo da Costa PaesPSD Sub-mayor of Barra da Tijuca and Jacarepaguá (1993–1996); Councillor of Rio de Janeiro (1997–1999); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (1999–2007); Municipal Secretary of Environment of Rio de Janeiro (2001–2002); State Secretary of Tourism, Sports and Leisure of Rio de Janeiro (2007–2008); Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (2009–2017; 2021–2026).Jane ReisJeannie Mayr Reis de OliveiraMDBJuntos para Mudar, Coragem para Reconstruir(PSD, MDB, FE Brasil (PT, PCdoB and PV), PDT, PSB, Solidary Renewal Fed. (PRD and Solidariedade), PSDB Cidadania Fed. (PSDB and Cidadania), Progressive Union Fed. (UNIÃO and PP) and DC)80Juliete PantojaJuliete Pantoja AlvesUPBia MartinsMeiby Jeanine Martins LimaUP
Rejected GovernorVice GovernorCoalitionPartiesCandidatePartyFederationRelevant officesCandidatePartyFederation10Anthony GarotinhoAnthony William Matheus de OliveiraRepublicanos State Deputy of Rio de Janeiro (1987–1988); Mayor of Campos dos Goytacazes (1989–1992; 1997–1998); State Secretary of Agriculture and Interior of Rio de Janeiro (1992–1993); Governor of Rio de Janeiro (1999–2002); First Gentleman of Rio de Janeiro (2003–2006); State Secretary of Public Security of Rio de Janeiro (2003–2004); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (2011–2015).André MonteiroLuiz André de Moura MonteiroDemocrataCoragem para Mudar(Republicanos and Democrata)
Declined or withdrew
Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), lawyer, Senator (since 2019), former State Deputy (2003–2019), and candidate for Mayor of Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Washington Reis (MDB), businessman, former Secretary of Transport of Rio de Janeiro State (2023–2025), former Mayor of Duque de Caxias (2005-2008, 2017–2022), former Federal Deputy (2011–2017) and candidate for Vice-Governor of Rio de Janeiro in 2022. Ricardo Couto (Independent), judge, professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas and interim Governor of Rio de Janeiro since March 2026.
Ineligible Rodrigo Bacellar (União), lawyer, President of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (2023-2025), State Deputy (2019-2026) and former Secretary of Government of Rio de Janeiro State (2021–2022).
Senatorial candidates SenatorSubstitute membersCoalitionPartiesCandidatePartyFederationRelevant offices100Marcelo CrivellaMarcelo Bezerra CrivellaRepublicanos Senator for Rio de Janeiro (2003–2017); Minister of Fishing and Aquaculture (2012–2014); Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (2017–2021); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (2023–2026).Tânia Bastos(Republicanos)Francisco Eugenio(Republicanos) 101WaguinhoWagner dos Santos CarneiroRepublicanos Councillor of Belford Roxo (2009–2011); State Deputy of Rio de Janeiro (2011–2017); Mayor of Belford Roxo (2017–2024).André Soares(Republicanos)Dra. Renata(Republicanos) 131Benedita da SilvaBenedita Sousa da Silva SampaioPTFE Brasil Councillor of Rio de Janeiro (1983–1986); Senator for Rio de Janeiro (1995–1998); Vice Governor of Rio de Janeiro (1999–2002); Governor of Rio de Janeiro (2002); Minister of Social Assistance and Promotion (2003–2007); State Secretary of Social Assistance and Human Rights of Rio de Janeiro (2007–2010); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (1987–1995; 2011–2026).Manoel Severino(PT)Kleber Lucas(PT)Juntos para Mudar, Coragem para Reconstruir(PSD, MDB, FE Brasil (PT, PCdoB and PV), PDT, PSB, Solidary Renewal Fed. (PRD and Solidariedade), PSDB Cidadania Fed. (PSDB and Cidadania), Progressive Union Fed. (UNIÃO and PP) and DC)144Hélio SeccoHélio Kinast Cruz SeccoMISSÃOMoisés Queiroz(MISSÃO)Ramon Batista(MISSÃO)160Paula FalcãoPaula Andreia Almeida FalcãoPSTU(PSTU)(PSTU)200Marcos DiasMarcos Dias PereiraPODE Councillor of Rio de Janeiro (2025–2026).Eliane Diniz(PODE)Rafael JJ(PODE)221Carlos JordyCarlos Roberto Jordy Coelho de MattosPL Councillor of Niterói (2017–2018); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (2019–2026).Lucimar Ferreira(PL)Zé Augusto Nalin(PL)222Carlos PortinhoCarlos Francisco PortinhoPL Municipal Secretary of Housing of Rio de Janeiro (2015); Senator for Rio de Janeiro (2020–2026).Samuel Malafaia(PL)Marcelinho(PL)280Luciano MattosLuciano Oliveira Mattos de SouzaPRTBMurilo Romero(PRTB)Ricardo Fernandes(PRTB)290Luiz Eugênio HonoratoLuiz Eugênio HonoratoPCOAntônio de Paula(PCO)Guilherme dos Santos(PCO)355Ó ClementeClemente Sebastião de Almeida CamposDemocrataAlberto Barbosa(Democrata)Jorge Page(Democrata)500Mônica BenícioMonica Tereza Azeredo BenicioPSOLPSOL REDE Fed. Councillor of Rio de Janeiro (2021–2026).Vanderlea Aguiar(PSOL)Maria dos Camelôs(PSOL)PSOL REDE Federation(PSOL and REDE)555Pedro PauloPedro PauloPSD State Deputy of Rio de Janeiro (2007–2011); Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro (2011–2026);