TSE Reports Over 20,000 Registered Candidates for Brazil's 2026 Elections
2 sources · Brazil
Who reported this
- G1
- Folha de S.Paulo
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from Brazil.
At least 20,496 candidates have registered for Brazil's 2026 elections, according to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) updated on Sunday. The candidates are competing for positions including president, governor, senator, and federal, state, and district deputies. The TSE noted that these figures are partial and may change as the court continues to process registration requests submitted by the Saturday deadline. In total, 30 parties are competing in this election, which is two fewer than in 2022. The PL and MDB parties have registered the highest number of candidates so far, with 1,625 and 1,387 respectively.
Demographic data shows that Black and mixed race candidates represent 49.9 percent of the total registrations, with 10,224 candidates. White candidates make up 48.7 percent of the registrations. Women represent 34.8 percent of the total candidacies, an increase from 33.8 percent in 2022. While female participation grew in proportional races for deputy, it dropped significantly for the presidency, where women now represent 15.4 percent of candidates compared to 30.8 percent in 2022.
Several high profile registrations occurred at the deadline. Michelle Bolsonaro is running for a Senate seat in the Federal District, and Senator Cleitinho is running for governor of Minas Gerais. Flávio Bolsonaro filed his request on Thursday after a legal decision regarding his party affiliation. Additionally, Pablo Marçal filed for the presidency following a preliminary court injunction, although he must still overturn an eight year ineligibility ruling to officially compete.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The center-left lean outlets focused on the demographic composition of the candidates, specifically highlighting racial and gender representation.
- Centre
- The center lean outlet focused on the total volume of candidates, party dynamics, and the legal status of high profile political figures.
Sources
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Election will have at least 20.5 thousand candidates across the country, TSE balance points out
- Centre-left G1: Blacks and mixed race represent 49.9% of the candidacies registered for the 2026 elections
- Centre-left G1: Women represent 34.8% of registered candidacies for the 2026 elections
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.