Opposition to the federal government tried to nominate Elmar Nascimento, who received 96 votes against 303 for the PT member; decision must be approved by the Senate
The Chamber of Deputies elected this Tuesday (April 14, 2026) the deputy (PT-MG) as new minister of the TCU (Federal Audit Court). It received 303 votes against 96 from 2nd place, (União Brasil-BA). The vote was secret. Odair Cunha will be the first congressman affiliated with the PT who will be part of the TCU.
The candidate who receives a simple majority of votes is elected. Now, the name of the chosen one becomes a PDL (Project Legislative Decree) that needs to be approved by a vote in the Senate. In total, there were 5 candidates.
Here is the score:
- Odair Cunha: 303 votes;
- Elmar Nascimento: 96 votes;
- (PP-CE): 27 votes;
- Hugo Leal (PSDB-RJ): 20 votes;
- Gilson Daniel: 6 votes;
- whites: 4;
- Total: 452 valid votes.
The PL and the senator (PL) tried to articulate a single candidacy to oppose the PT nominee, who was already a favorite for the position and had the support of 11 parties and the president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) – the result of an agreement in exchange for the party’s support during the election for the presidency of the House.
Initially, the PL’s nominee for the vacancy was the deputy (RJ), but the candidacy was withdrawn during the plenary vote so that the bench’s votes could be transferred to Elmar Nascimento (União Brasil-BA). The understanding was that the Bahian had a better chance against the PT member.
The PL wanted to keep the deputy’s name. The idea was to rival the nomination of a woman against the nomination of a PT man. Flávio has resistance among female voters and, since the beginning of the campaign, has sought to minimize disapproval in this group. União Brasil, Elmar’s party, however, did not give in.
ODAIR CUNHA
Odair José da Cunha is 49 years old and is from Piedade. A lawyer by training, he began his political career in the trade union and social movement in the south of Minas Gerais. Affiliated to the PT since the beginning of the 1990s, he is in his 6th term as a federal deputy, having been elected for the first time in 2002.
In Congress, he held the leadership of the party in the Chamber and the presidency of the PT in Minas Gerais. From 2015 to 2018, he took a leave of absence to take over the Government Secretariat of the State of Minas Gerais during the administration of Fernando Pimentel.
He is seen as an articulator with a moderate profile and has transit between different currents of the Legislature.
TCU MINISTER
The vacancy at TCU is strategic, since the body is responsible for overseeing the Executive Branch’s accounts and assisting Congress in external control of public administration.
The position of minister of the Court of Auditors is for life, with compulsory retirement at age 75, and offers the same salary level and prerogatives as a minister of the Superior Court of Justice.
The TCU is made up of 9 ministers. Among the members, 3 are appointed by the President of the Republic and 6 by Congress. The vacancy left by Aroldo Cedraz, who retired, is part of the Chamber’s quota.
