Since 1891, five politicians who reached the highest position in the Republic, the Presidency, have also been in charge of the Senate and the Chamber.
Among them are the first president of Brazil elected by popular vote and vice-presidents who took over the Executive.
See who they are:
- Floriano Peixoto: President of the Republic between 1891 and 1894; and the Senate in 1891
- Prudente de Morais: President of the Republic between 1894 and 1898; and the Senate between 1891 and 1894
- João Goulart: President of the Republic between 1961 and 1964; and the Senate between 1956 and 1961
- José Sarney: President of the Republic between 1985 and 1990; and the Senate between 1995 and 1997, 2003 and 2005, and 2009 and 2013
- Michel Temer: President of the Republic between 2016 and 2018; and the Chamber between 1997 and 2001 and 2009 and 2010
Floriano Peixoto
Known as “The Iron Marshal”, Floriano Peixoto was president of Brazil between 1891 and 1894.
Previously, he held two positions at the same time: vice-president of the Republic and president of the Senate, in 1891. This is because the Brazilian Constitution allowed him to hold both positions.
Also minister of the Superior Military Court (STM), Peixoto was born in Maceió, Alagoas, and trained at the Academia das Agulhas Negras (Aman) and the Military Institute of Engineering (IME).
Prudente de Morais
Born in Itu, in the interior of São Paulo, Prudente de Morais was the first president of the Republic elected by popular vote and the first civilian to hold the position. He was also the first to serve four years in office.
He headed the Brazilian Executive between 1894 and 1898. He was in charge of the Senate between 1891 and 1894.
Lawyer, Morais graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo (USP). He was also a councilor and president of the Municipal Council of Piracicaba (SP).
João Goulart
João Goulart, known as Jango, was President of the Senate between 1956 and 1961. He assumed the Presidency of the country in 1961, after the resignation of Jânio Quadros, and continued until 1964, when he was deposed by the military coup.
Goulart is from the city of São Borja, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, and graduated from the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences of Porto Alegre.
He was one of the coordinators of Getúlio Vargas’ presidential campaign in 1950.
José Sarney
José Sarney held the presidency of the Senate three times: between 1995 and 1997; 2003 and 2005; and 2009 and 2013. All were after his term as President of the Republic, which took place during 1985 and 1990.
Sarney assumed the Executive Branch on an interim basis before the death of Tancredo Neves, of whom he was deputy. Subsequently, his mandate was effective.
He was responsible for Cross Planea monetary reform that became known in reference to the new currency implemented in Brazil. His mandate aimed at economic stabilization through price and wage freezes. The strategy had a positive start, but inflation returned more sharply.
Born in Pinheiro, in the interior of Maranhão, he holds a law degree from the state’s Faculty of Law. He was also governor of the state between 1966 and 1970.
Michel Temer
Michel Temer was the last president of the Republic to command a federal Legislative House. President of the Chamber between 1997 and 2001, he returned to the position in 2009, and remained until 2010.
His arrival as President of the Republic came after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff (PT), for whom he was elected as vice-president in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.
Previously, while he was in charge of the House, he took over the Executive on an interim basis, twice: from January 27 to 31, 1998 and on June 15, 1999, when he commanded the House.
Son of Lebanese immigrants, Temer was born in Tietê, in the interior of São Paulo.