The (Socialist Party of Brazil) was the left-wing acronym that received the most votes. With 312 elected representatives, the party was ahead of the most traditional party on the Brazilian left, the (252 city halls), and other smaller ones, such as PDT, Rede and PC do B.
The result represents an increase of 24% in relation to the mayorships won in 2020, when the acronym appointed 252 directors to municipal executives.
The president of the PSB, , says he sees a recovery for the acronym, which lost space after the death of the then presidential candidate, in 2014.
“The death of Eduardo Campos, then the victory of [Jair] Bolsonaro and the political deterioration of the democratic scenario impacted all parties, especially those on the left. The PSB tended to grow and then you are faced with a scenario of threat to democracy”, he stated.
Party of the vice-president and the Minister of Entrepreneurship, the party has 14 deputies and three acting governors. In the 2024 city hall ranking, it was in seventh place. The first places on the podium are occupied by right-wing or center-right parties, being the big winner, with 887 mayors.
The PSB’s peak occurred in 2012, when it won 444 mayors, becoming the party with the largest number of capitals. At this time, the party began a movement to launch its own candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic. In 2013, he left the base of the Dilma Rousseff (PT) government, handing over two ministries.
Campos, who at the time was leading the PSB as president, in addition to governing the state of Pernambuco, sought to unite the party in his plan to run for president.
“His death removed the PSB from its main figure, from the main electoral political project that would allow the party a national projection that it had not known since redemocratization. Now, it seems that, with the rise of , the party has recovered, in a certain way, a more defined political north”, says historian Herbert Anjos, author of the book “Socialismo e Liberdade – Uma História do PSB”.
He says that, since the 2000s, the PSB adopted an electoral growth strategy that did not have the issue of ideological affinity as central, to expand the number of mayors and the parliamentary bench.
The party included well-known figures on the right, such as the then president of Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo) and federal deputy Pastor Isidório, at the same time that former minister Roberto Amaral and the federal deputy, identified with the left.
After Campos’ death, the opening for names that were not aligned to the left on the political spectrum expanded.
Furthermore, in key votes in the National Congress, such as the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) of the Spending Ceiling, the PL (Project of Law) on outsourcing and the impeachment of Dilma, the PSB voted together with the parties located in the center. right.
The accession of Palácio do Planalto was a key turning point and encouraged a return to alignment with parties such as the PT. In the 2022 elections, he joined what he called the “broad front”, nominating his vice-president, Alckmin, a former tucano.
“Lula’s own political-electoral strength exerted a strong gravitational influence within the center-left from which the PSB could hardly escape. Lula was the only candidate with consolidated leadership and electoral density to defeat Bolsonaro”, says Herbert.
Siqueira states that the party is “independent” and continues to disagree with issues associated with the left, such as the issue of Venezuela.
Furthermore, in the party’s current manifesto, there is a criticism of the left-wing governments that ruled Brazil. “Even the left — of which the PSB is a part — has not implemented the structural reforms necessary to transform society,” says the document.
An asset of the party is the performance of new cadres, such as the mayor of Recife and Eduardo’s son, João Campos, and the federal deputy (SP).
João Campos, 31, was re-elected with one of the highest votes in the country (78.1%), in the first round. Tabata, 31, contested the elections in São Paulo, and came in fourth place — but managed to increase his projection.
“I think that on the left there is a great lack of new leadership, while significant figures proliferate on the far right,” says Siqueira.
With the end of his term in 2025, Siqueira chose João Campos as his successor. The mayor is seen as having a good performance on social media, an environment that tends to be dominated by right-wing figures such as federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) and the former mayoral candidate (PRTB).
To make the transition official, João Campos needs to be approved in a vote by the PSB National Executive, which already has a date to take place: May 30 and 31, 2025.
The mayor says that the party’s role from now on is to “continue to seek new paths and alternatives to face old problems.” Citing his girlfriend Tabata as an example, João Campos says that the new generation of the PSB represents new practices and ways of building politics.
For the 2026 election, the party will need to overcome an obstacle: Lula’s allies will apply for the vice-president spot on the ticket, taking the space currently held by Alckmin. One of the names mentioned is that of the current governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, from .
