The municipal elections in the left strengthened the left, which elected the largest number of mayors, consolidated the political strength in the state of the former governor and minister of Education, (PT), and could seal a union between the PL of , o and a wing of the na opposition to the state.
Of the 184 municipalities in the state, the senator’s PSB won in 65 cities, followed by the PT (47). The ten parties that form the governor’s allied base (PT) will control 166 city halls, around 90% of the total, paving the way for the PT member’s possible re-election in 2026.
Opponents point out, however, that there is still a way to go. They criticize , a topic considered one of the main challenges of Elmano’s management, in addition to .
A in the state in — the only capital in which the party elected a representative. He disputed the second round with the Bolsonaro federal deputy (PL), supported by Bolsonaro. The race was close, with a difference of around 10 thousand votes.
Despite being defeated at the polls, the congressman emerged as one of the big winners of the election due to his expressive vote and his ability to attract crowds to campaign events. Fernandes cannot run for the Senate or the government, as he is not of the minimum age required — he is 27 years old. But politicians believe that he will act in 2026 to elect allies of his group.
In the second round, the Bolsonarista received support that signals a path for what could happen in 2026, with an alliance between parties to oppose the PT in the state: he was endorsed by , and a wing of the PDT of , especially the former mayor from the capital of Ceará.
In the second stage in Fortaleza, —the mayor, (PDT), came in third. Ciro did not make an endorsement announcement, but rejected supporting the PT. Roberto’s support was criticized by PDT members and activists, as well as left-wing politicians.
To interlocutors, the former mayor says that he would like to remain in the party and that he will work to ensure that the party maintains its stance of opposition to the state PT (). Within the PDT, however, there are politicians who are evaluating a rapprochement at the state and municipal levels, which may contradict Roberto.
The former mayor received invitations to leave the association, including from União Brasil, but will only make a decision next year. “Today, our group is close to the PL and Roberto’s group. We want to try to have a single ticket for government in 2026”, he tells Sheet Captain Wagner, claiming to have invited the former mayor to join the party.
“There is a strong tendency for there to be this alignment with Novo, PL and PSDB. This is already well underway. But we still have to see the spaces on the majority ticket and wait for Roberto Cláudio’s decision.”
Politicians from Elmano’s allied group, in turn, assess the chance of unifying this camp as remote. They say it is unfeasible to establish a state alliance that does not go against the national one, since the PL must have a name indicated by Bolsonaro, while União Brasil is rehearsing its own candidacy and the PDT is moving towards supporting the re-election of (PT).
On the other hand, opponents and even PT allies speak of difficulties in assembling the majority ticket in Elmano’s group as well. They cite discomfort with what they classify as the supposed hegemony of the PT of Ceará, since the party commands the capital, the state and the Presidency of the Republic.
The appointment of a PT member to command the Ceará Assembly, in November, generated discomfort among parties that support Elmano and . The situation was resolved in a seam involving Camilo, Cid and the governor, which led to the election of a member of the PDT to command the Assembly.
Behind the scenes, allied politicians claim that the performance in Ceará consolidates Camilo’s name as the main state leader and projects the minister as a possible name to succeed Lula in the future.
At the event celebrating Evandro’s victory, for example, Camilo made gestures to the conservative electorate by thanking God in his speech, praying and saying that he is a Christian and defends the Brazilian family, in an emotional tone.
“The project that PT leads in the state today was victorious at the polls”, said the government leader in the Chamber of Deputies, (PT-CE). “This has a direct impact on the consolidation of the 2026 project at state and national levels. Ceará’s political weight is recognized not only by the state’s population, but also by the government and the national PT.”
The electoral result also gives strength to a wing of the PT that defends a name from the Northeast to preside over the party next year, with the departure of (PR). He has already shown himself open to this possibility, but said he wants to run for the Senate in 2026.
In the majority ticket of Elmano’s group, which will run for re-election, the big issue is the two vacancies for senator. In addition to Guimarães, deputy Eunício Oliveira (MDB) and former senator Chiquinho Feitosa (Republicans) have already shown interest. Members of the PSD say that the party intends to seek space on the ticket.
Cid’s name is also mentioned in conversations, but he says he still doesn’t know if he will seek re-election. “I haven’t made my decision whether I’m going to run. I don’t move into politics because of personal ambitions. I’ve always been at the service of projects. I make my decisions collectively, talking and listening.”
Cid and Ciro. Political differences made Cid leave the party and migrate to the PSB, taking a large part of his political group. This dispute between the Ferreira Gomes brothers, who have their electoral stronghold in the state, led to a great loss of political strength for the PDT regionally: in 2024 only five mayors were elected, compared to 67 in 2022.
In the assessment of Ceará’s leaders, former presidential candidate Ciro Gomes emerged as one of the biggest losers in these elections. These politicians even say they doubt whether he will run for a majority position in the next election.
After the first round, in October, . “I’m humbled to realize that my word is getting less and less audience in Ceará.”
X-RAY | Ceará
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Estimated population (2024): 9,233,656 people
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Voters (2024): 6.940.465
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Territorial area (2023): 148.894,447 km²
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PIB per capita (2021): R$ 21.090,11
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State budget (2024): R$49.4 billion
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State budget for investments (2024): R$5.3 billion
Governor
Senators
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Augusta Brito (PT) – 2023-2031
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Cid Gomes (PSB) – 2019-2027
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Eduardo Girão (New) – 2019-2027
Number of city halls won by parties in 2024
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PSB: 65
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PT: 47
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PSD: 16
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Republicans: 14
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PP: 13
Voting by party for mayor in 2024 (1st round)
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PT: 1.261.687
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PSB: 818.626
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PSD: 273.933
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União Brasil: 196.364
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Republicans: 168.081
sources: TSE (Superior Electoral Court), IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) and Ceará State Finance Secretariat
