TSE Releases Demographic Profile of 2026 Election Candidates

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has released statistical data on the candidates registered for the 2026 elections. The data shows that candidates who identify as black or mixed race (pardo) make up 49.87% of the total registrations, consisting of 10,226 individuals. White candidates represent 48.68% of the pool. Other candidates include indigenous people at 0.93% and those identifying as yellow at 0.52%.

Gender distribution shows a significant gap, with men representing 65.18% of candidates and women representing 34.82%. Among female candidates, a majority of 52.27% identify as black or mixed race, while among male candidates, white individuals are the majority at 50.13%. The data indicates that candidates for the Executive branch are fewer in number; for example, there are 32 female candidates for governor and 8 for vice governor, while only 3 black or mixed race candidates are running for president.

Further demographic details reveal that 58.5% of candidates have completed higher education. The most represented professional categories after the general others group are entrepreneurs at 12.5% and lawyers at 8.2%. Most candidates fall within the 40 to 59 age range, and 50% are married.

Outlets with a center lean focused their reporting on the racial and gender composition of the candidacies and the specific funding rules for minority groups. In contrast, a center left outlet framed the data as a profile of the average candidate, emphasizing the predominance of a specific demographic: white, male, married, and highly educated.