2026 Ceará gubernatorial election

2026 Ceará Gubernatorial election
4 October 2026 (2026-10-04) (first round)
Opinion polls
Incumbent Governor

Elmano de Freitas
PT



Senatorial election
4 October 2026 (2026-10-04) (one-only round)
Opinion polls
Incumbent Senator

Cid Gomes and Eduardo Girão
PDT and NOVO



The 2026 Ceara gubernatorial election on 4 October 2026 in the Brazilian state of Ceará. Voters will elect a Governor, Vice Governor, two Senators, 22 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies, and 46 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.

Incumbent governor Elmano de Freitas of the Workers' Party (PT), elected in 2022 with 54.02% of the vote, is currently running for reelection. Incumbent senators Cid Gomes of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) and Eduardo Girão of the New Party (NOVO) are also 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 Elmano de Freitas of the Workers' Party (PT) was elected in 2022 in the first round with 54.02% of the vote, defeating Capitão Wagner of the Brazil Union (União) and former Fortaleza mayor Roberto Cláudio of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT).[1]

De Freitas, a lawyer and former state deputy, was supported by a left-wing coalition championed by former governor and current Minister of Education Camilo Santana. His alliance with the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) was solidified by his selection of vice governor candidate Jade Romero, who had previously served in the state executive branch.

Senator

Senators in Brazil serve an 8-year term, meaning the incumbents were elected on tickets in 2018.

Cid Gomes, a civil engineer and former Governor of Ceará (2007–2015), was elected as a member of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). Following a high-profile split within the Gomes political family and the local PDT branch, he joined the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) in 2024 to realign with the ruling state coalition led by the PT.[2]

Eduardo Girão, a businessman and former president of Fortaleza Esporte Clube, was elected as a member of the Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS) in a surprise victory over former Senate President Eunício Oliveira. He joined Podemos (PODE) in 2019 and later switched to the New Party (NOVO) in 2023. He has established himself as a vocal opposition figure in the Senate, especially on the issue of abortion.[3]

Gubernatorial candidates

Declared candidates

  • Elmano de Freitas, lawyer, incumbent governor of Ceará (2023–present), former state deputy of Ceará (2015-2022), candidate for mayor in the 2012 Fortaleza mayoral election, and former municipal secretary of education of Fortaleza (2011-2012).[4]
  • Ciro Gomes, lawyer, former federal deputy (2007–2011), former minister of national integration (2003–2006), former governor of Ceará (1991–1994), and presidential candidate in the 1998, 2002, 2018, and 2022 elections.[5]
  • Eduardo Girão, businessman and senator for Ceará (2019–present).[6]
  • Incumbent Governor
    Elmano de Freitas
    of the PT
    (2023–present)
  • Former Governor
    Ciro Gomes
    of the PSDB
    (1991–1994)
  • Incumbent Senator
    Eduardo Girão
    of NOVO
    (2019-present)

Expressed interest

As of December 2026, the following individuals have expressed an interest in running in the last six months:

  • Capitão Wagner, retired military police officer, former municipal secretary of health of Maracanaú (2023–2024), former federal deputy (2019–2023), former state deputy of Ceará (2015–2019), former city councilor of Fortaleza (2013–2015), and candidate for mayor in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Fortaleza mayoral elections, and for governor in the 2022 election.[7]
  • Roberto Cláudio, physician, former mayor of Fortaleza (2013–2020), former president of the Legislative Assembly of Ceará (2011–2012), former state deputy of Ceará (2007–2012), and candidate for governor in the 2022 election.[8]

Declined to be candidates

  • Camilo Santana, agronomist, minister of education (2023–present), former governor of Ceará (2015–2022), and former state deputy of Ceará (2011–2015).[9]
  • Cid Gomes, civil engineer, incumbent senator for Ceará (2019–present), former minister of education (2015), former governor of Ceará (2007–2015), former mayor of Sobral (1997–2005), and former state deputy of Ceará (1991–1997).[10]
  • Tasso Jereissati, business administrator, former senator for Ceará (2003–2011; 2015–2023), former governor of Ceará (1987–1991; 1995–2002), and former national president of the PSDB.[11]
  • José Sarto, physician, former mayor of Fortaleza (2021–2024), former president of the Legislative Assembly of Ceará (2019–2020), former state deputy of Ceará (1995–2020), and former president of the Municipal Chamber of Fortaleza (1990–1992).[12]

Senatorial candidates

Declared candidates

Possible candidates

Declined

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Elmano de Freitas, do PT, é eleito governador do Ceará no primeiro turno das eleições". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-10-02. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  2. ^ Matos, Fábio (2024-02-05). "Após rompimento com o irmão Ciro, Cid Gomes volta ao PSB". InfoMoney (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  3. ^ "Eduardo Girão deixa o Podemos e se filia ao Novo – Jovem Pan". Eduardo Girão deixa o Podemos e se filia ao Novo – Jovem Pan (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  4. ^ Sampaio, Gessica (2025-12-22). "Sem plano B, Elmano confirma disputa pela reeleição". PODER NEWS - Política, Economia e Análise (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  5. ^ "Ciro confirma que será candidato a governador do Ceará em 2026 pelo PSDB". O POVO+ (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-12-29. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  6. ^ Magalhães, Vítor; vitor-magalhaes (2025-03-05). "Senador Eduardo Girão anuncia que é pré-candidato a governador do Ceará". O POVO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  7. ^ "Capitão Wagner admite possibilidade de disputar Eleições 2026: "Se o grupo achar que agrego"". Opinião CE (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  8. ^ "Roberto Cláudio comenta se será candidato ao Governo do Ceará ou ao Senado em 2026 - PontoPoder". Diário do Nordeste (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-11-07. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  9. ^ "'Não tenho intenção de disputar nada em 2026′, diz Camilo Santana". Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  10. ^ Cheiddi, Lucas (2025-12-06). "Cid Gomes nega irmão e apoia petista ao governo do Ceará em 2026". Revista Oeste (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  11. ^ Araújo, Henrique (2025-06-23). "Tasso articula filiação de Ciro Gomes ao PSDB de olho em 2026". O POVO+ (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  12. ^ Cheiddi, Lucas (2025-12-06). "Cid Gomes nega irmão e apoia petista ao governo do Ceará em 2026". Revista Oeste (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
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