BRAZIL · RIO DE JANEIRO POLITICS
Key Facts
- What: Eduardo Paes’s party is asking Brazil’s Supreme Court to force a second round for Rio’s governor.
- Why: Electoral judges voided 274,411 votes for one candidate, handing Douglas Ruas an outright first-round win.
- The result: Ruas, of the conservative PL party, finished with 50.88% of valid votes; Paes had 44.16%.
- The court: The electoral court’s president told the Supreme Court a new vote is not feasible.
- Status: The Supreme Court has not announced a decision.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
The Rio governor race is not settled, even though the votes were counted weeks ago. Eduardo Paes’s party now asks Brazil’s Supreme Court for a second round.
Douglas Ruas, a conservative, won outright on 4 October after electoral judges threw out a rival’s votes. For US readers, the fight decides who controls the police and the budget of Brazil’s main oil-producing state.
What Happened in the Rio Governor Race
Rio held its governor vote in the first round on Sunday 4 October 2026. Ruas led with 49.27% of valid votes, short of the majority he needed to avoid a runoff against Paes, who had 42.76%.
On Thursday 8 October, the Superior Electoral Court voided all 274,411 votes for Anthony Garotinho, whose candidacy had been rejected. Rio’s regional electoral court recounted on Saturday 10 October and gave Ruas 4,271,199 votes, or 50.88%, against 3,706,984 for Paes.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Douglas Ruas, 37, is a civil police officer and state legislator for the Liberal Party, or PL, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Eduardo Paes is a former mayor of Rio and a leader of the PSD, a centrist party.
Anthony Garotinho is a former Rio governor who ran for the Republicanos party. The Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE, runs Brazil’s elections, and the Supreme Federal Court, the STF, is the country’s highest court.
The Challenge at the Supreme Court
After the TSE decision, Paes wrote on Thursday 8 October that the election was over and that he would respect the ruling. His PSD party later asked the Supreme Court for an extraordinary second round, arguing that the voided votes should not be removed from the count.
Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin is the rapporteur, the judge who handles the case. In October he asked the TSE, the prosecutor general and the attorney general for their views on the request.
What the Electoral Court Told the Justices
Kassio Nunes Marques, president of the TSE, answered on 27 October that a new election should not be held. He said Rio’s regional court had declared Garotinho ineligible unanimously, so voters knew their votes could be voided.
He also said a vote on 25 October was not technically possible, because the voting machines were already prepared and sealed. Earlier coverage is in our reports on the 5-2 court vote and on Ruas’s confirmed win.
What It Means for You
Rio is home to Petrobras, the oil company whose shares trade in New York, and the state governor oversees its police. A drawn-out legal fight adds uncertainty for investors and for visitors who follow security in the state.
The fight also shows how Brazil’s courts, not only its voters, can decide a close race. Brazil’s national politics stay tense after a bitter presidential campaign.
What Is Not Known
The Supreme Court has not said when it will decide on the PSD request, or whether it will take it up at all. It is also unclear whether Ruas’s start in office in January could be delayed.
Paes has not said whether he will keep pushing the case. No official has said what would happen if the Supreme Court ordered a new vote.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Rio de Janeiro governor race?
Douglas Ruas of the PL party won outright with 50.88% of valid votes. A court voided another candidate’s votes, which pushed him over 50%.
Why is the result being challenged?
Eduardo Paes’s PSD party wants a second round. It argues the 274,411 voided votes should not be removed from the count.
What did the electoral court say?
Its president said a new vote is not feasible and that voters knew their votes could be voided. He also said the voting machines were already sealed.
Has the Supreme Court decided?
No decision has been announced. Justice Cristiano Zanin, who handles the case, first asked the electoral court and federal prosecutors for their views.
Sources: Superior Electoral Court (TSE), election results and rulings on the Rio de Janeiro governor race, October 2026; Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro (TRE-RJ), recount of 10 October 2026, 10 October 2026; Supreme Federal Court (STF), PSD request for a second round in Rio de Janeiro, October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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