The governors are in the midst of political articulations for October, with movements that include party migrations, resignations to run for other positions and even mysterious strategies about the political future.
Of the current 27 governors, 20 have their political destiny sealed: 9 are running for re-election, 9 will run for the Senate and 2 will not be candidates. Another 4 are trying and 3 have not yet decided whether they will contest the elections.
Governors who will run for other positions must resign by April 4, complying with electoral legislation. The resignations are expected to change the board of at least 13 states, with the rise of vice-presidents in 11 of them.
In at least ten units of the federation, vice-governors are candidates for succession. The movement, in most cases, seeks to maintain the ascendancy of current governors over their respective political groups.
In Minas Gerais, the governor (Novo) will pass the baton to vice Matheus Simões (). His main challenge is to become better known — to do this he has relied on social media and the visibility of his political godfather Zema, who launched himself as a pre-candidate for president.
The scenario is similar in Pará, where vice-governor Hana Grassan () is competing to succeed Helder Barbalho (MDB), who will run for the Senate. It will be the first time that she will run for a majority position as head of the ticket.
In Rio Grande do Sul, vice-governor Gabriel Souza (MDB) will have the support of (PSD) in a dispute that begins polarized between names from and . Other vice-presidents will compete in the Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Paraíba, Espírito Santo, Acre and Roraima.
The resignations will increase the predominance of the center-right in the states. The , which has two governors, will reach four with the rise of vice-presidents Lucas Ribeiro, in Paraíba, and Celina Leão, in the Federal District. The country will take a similar leap, and will have four governors, including Otaviano Pivetta, in Mato Grosso, and Edilson Damião, in Roraima.
The MDB will make a leap from two to five governors with the rise of vice-presidents in Pará, Espírito Santo and Rio Grande do Sul. The PSD may have five governors after the resignation of the presidential candidates (Goiás), . (Paraná), and Eduardo Leite (Rio Grande do Sul).
The president (PT) will maintain allies in command of ten states, but the left will lose space with the resignations of Fátima Bezerra (PT-RN), Renato Casagrande (PSB-ES) and João Azevêdo (PSB-PB).
The Pessebistas will be replaced by center-right vice-presidents, while the PT member faces a cloudy scenario after the break with vice-governor Walter Alves (MDB), who will be a candidate for state deputy and will also be incompatible.
It will be up to the Legislative Assembly to choose a new governor for a buffer term. For the October election, the PT chose the name of Cadu Xavier, state secretary of Finance.
In , the picture is similar. The governor (PL) will resign to run for the Senate, but he has no vice president: Thiago Pampolha left office last year to take up a seat at the State Court of Auditors. The state will also need to elect a buffer governor.
In Maranhão and Alagoas, governors remain in office until the end of their term. Paulo Dantas (MDB), from Alagoas, calls for the return of his predecessor, the Minister of Transport, (MDB).
In the case of Maranhão, governor Carlos Brandão (no party) abdicated from running for the Senate after disagreements with vice Felipe Camarão (PT). He remains in office to articulate the candidacy of his nephew, state secretary Orleans Brandão.
In Amazonas, Tocantins and Rondônia, governors are mysterious about their political future. In all three cases, the governors have quarrels with their deputies and intend to maintain control over the public sector to elect allies as successors.
Wilson Lima (), governor of Amazonas, wants to run for Senate, but is facing stress in his administration. One option being considered is to run for federal deputy.
In the case of Tocantins, governor Wanderlei Barbosa (Republicans) was removed by the courts in September 2025 and was out of office for three months, giving way to vice Laurez Moreira (PSD), his enemy. Now, he resists passing the baton to the deputy.
Among the governors who should run for re-election are (Republicans), in , who lost momentum as a presidential candidate with the pre-candidacy of the senator (PL).
On the left, the PT members (Bahia) and Elmano de Freitas (Ceará) face wear and tear under the shadow of their predecessors, the ministers (Casa Civil) and (Education). The tendency, however, is for both to run for re-election.
In Santa Catarina, the governor (PL) faced a setback with the breakup of the MDB, the party with the most mayors in the state. Still, he remains the favorite for re-election in the state, which has a strong Bolsonarist bias.
