Tarcísio 62.7% in São Paulo, Rio Likely Runoff
Key Facts
—São Paulo. Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) has 62.65% (14,465,645 votes) against 36.42% (8,409,926) for Fernando Haddad (PT), with 99.83% of sections counted.
—Rio de Janeiro. Douglas Ruas (PL) has 49.29% and Eduardo Paes (PSD) 42.74%, with 99.80% counted. Neither passes 50%, so the count points to a runoff between the two.
—Minas Gerais. Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos) has 55.41% (6,220,714 votes) against 26.25% for Patrus Ananias (PT), with 98.36% counted.
—Next date. Any governor runoff is on Sunday 25 October 2026. The count is the TSE’s, taken at about 21:16 Brasília time (8:16 p.m. ET).
—Not yet final. The TSE had not formally declared any of the three results when the figures were taken.
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São Paulo is set to re-elect Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who has 62.65% of the vote, and the count in Rio de Janeiro points to a runoff between Douglas Ruas and Eduardo Paes. Both lines come from the electoral court’s count at about 8:16 p.m. Eastern on Sunday 4 October (9:16 p.m. in Brasília, 1:16 a.m. Monday in Lisbon).
Minas Gerais is also close to settled. Senator Cleitinho Azevedo has more than half the vote. The three states hold about 63 million of Brazil’s registered voters, so their results shape who runs the country’s biggest economies for the next four years.
São Paulo: A Clear First-Round Win for Tarcísio
The count shows Tarcísio de Freitas of the Republicanos party at 62.65%, or 14,465,645 votes. Fernando Haddad of the Workers’ Party (PT), who is allied with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has 36.42%, or 8,409,926 votes. That is a gap of about 6.06 million votes. With 99.83% of sections counted, the remaining ballots cannot close it.
Turnout in the state was 77.44% of its 34.08 million registered voters. Abstention was 22.56%. Blank votes were 5.11% and null votes about 1.89 million, according to the TSE.
Rio de Janeiro: Ruas and Paes Look Headed to a Second Round
Douglas Ruas of the Liberal Party (PL), the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has 49.29% (4,262,711 votes). Eduardo Paes of the PSD, a former mayor of Rio, has 42.74% (3,696,690 votes). Neither is above 50% with 99.80% of sections counted, so the TSE count points to a runoff on Sunday 25 October.
A third name complicates the picture. The TSE lists 273,908 votes (3.17%) for Anthony Garotinho of Republicanos as annulled sub judice, meaning his candidacy is still under legal challenge. Local media report that he has ruled out backing either finalist and that his lawyers have appealed in Brasília. How the court treats those votes in its final tally is not yet known, and a change could alter the arithmetic of the 50% threshold.
Minas Gerais: Cleitinho Azevedo Leads by 29 Points
Cleitinho Azevedo of Republicanos has 55.41% (6,220,714 votes), well ahead of Patrus Ananias of the PT at 26.25% (2,947,124). Flávio Roscoe of the PL is third with 7.01%. With 98.36% of sections counted, no first-place change is possible on the remaining ballots. Azevedo is a sitting senator. Turnout was 77.22% of 16.36 million voters.
Who Is Who
Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos): the sitting São Paulo governor, seeking a second term.
Fernando Haddad (PT): the challenger in São Paulo, from President Lula’s party.
Douglas Ruas (PL): the Rio finalist from the Liberal Party, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Eduardo Paes (PSD): Rio’s former mayor, running for the PSD.
Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos): the Minas Gerais senator and current frontrunner.
Patrus Ananias (PT): the Workers’ Party candidate in Minas Gerais.
Why It Matters for the US
São Paulo is home to the B3 stock exchange and most of the banks and companies US investors follow. Rio is the base of Petrobras, whose shares trade in New York. A stable result in São Paulo and a competitive runoff in Rio add to the political risk picture that investors weigh next to the presidential race.
The governors also matter for the national contest. The Rio runoff is open, and the São Paulo and Minas Gerais results look settled. Our presidential count, election explainer and report on the Garotinho ruling give the wider picture.
What Happens Next
The TSE will declare the winners once counting is final. Rio’s runoff is set for Sunday 25 October, the same day as the presidential runoff if one is needed. Campaigning in Rio will now focus on voters who backed Garotinho and other eliminated candidates. For readers in Brazil, polling places and rules stay the same as on 4 October.
What Is Not Known
The TSE had not formally declared any of the three results at the time of the count. The handling of Garotinho’s annulled votes is unresolved, so the Rio runoff is the least settled of the three outcomes. Final percentages will move slightly as the last sections arrive. We do not yet know whether other states will have governor runoffs.
Who won the São Paulo governor race?
Tarcísio de Freitas has 62.65% of the vote against 36.42% for Fernando Haddad, with 99.83% of sections counted in the TSE count at about 9:16 p.m. Brasília time on 4 October 2026.
Is there a runoff for governor of Rio de Janeiro?
The count points to one. Douglas Ruas has 49.29% and Eduardo Paes 42.74% with 99.80% counted, and neither is above 50%. The runoff is on Sunday 25 October 2026.
What happened to Garotinho’s votes in Rio?
The TSE lists his 273,908 votes (3.17%) as annulled sub judice because his candidacy is under legal challenge. His lawyers have appealed, and the final treatment of those votes is not yet known.
Who leads in Minas Gerais?
Cleitinho Azevedo of Republicanos has 55.41% against 26.25% for Patrus Ananias of the PT, with 98.36% of sections counted.
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This article was drafted with automated assistance and reviewed before publication. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief