MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's municipal elections: Rio Mayor reelected Sunday; others will have to wait for runoff

Paes was reelected Sunday but Sao Paulo will have to wait until the Oct. 27 runoff

Eduardo Paes has been reelected for a fourth time as mayor of Rio de Janeiro in what was regarded as a major electoral blow from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. With 93.66% of the votes counted, the 54-year-old Paes had collected 60.26% support. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate was mayor of Rio during back-to-back terms (2009-2017) and returned in 2020. Paes dedicated his victory to President Lula and Rio de Janeiro State Governor Cláudio Castro. “As of today, conflicts are over,” he said.

Bolsonaro, for whom Rio de Janeiro had been his political springboard, supported the candidacy of second-place finisher Alexandre Ramagem, who headed the Brazilian Intelligence Agency under him between 2019 and 2022 and remains under investigation for an alleged illegal espionage plot. Federal Congressman Ramagem of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL) obtained 30.95% of the vote.

In Foz do Iguaçu -bordering Argentina and Paraguay- General Joaquim Silva e Luna of the PL won with 50.14% of the vote. Silva e Luna served as Defense Minister under then-President Michel Temer from Feb. 26, 2018, to Jan. 1, 2019. He was also the first member of the Brazilian Armed Forces to hold that post since it was created by then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1999.

In Florianópolis, the Bolsonarist Topázio Neto of the PSD was reelected with 58.68% of the vote after 91.8% of polling stations were counted. He finished way ahead of Marquito (Psol), with 22.29%. Neto's win cemented the alliance between center parties and Bolsonarism ahead of the 2026 presidential polls in that part of the country.

Bolsonaro supporters had clashed last month with PSD leader Gilberto Kassab and his followers over the impeachment of Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes. Hence, the former president said he would not be endorsing anyone in Santa Catarina. However, Neto picked Maryanne Mattos as his running mate. The Florianópolis PL councilwoman had the support of Governor Jorginho Mello and former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who might enter the 2026 race.

But things were not as straightforward in Sunday's municipal elections nationwide, as fifty cities will be holding runoffs to determine their next mayors, including 15 State capitals and some 103 districts. Only in 11 capitals was the duel decided in Sunday's first round. “Brazil will already go to sleep knowing, in all the states and municipalities, who has been elected,” Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Chief Justice Cármen Lúcia said. Nevertheless, Brazilian Police seized R$ 21 million (US$ 3.8 million) in cash as vote-buying is suspected.

In Sao Paulo, the largest city not only in Brazil but in all of South America, Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) will have to face off against Federal Congressman Guilherme Boulos (PSol) in the second round after getting 29.48% and 29.07% of the vote, respectively, barely edging Pablo Marçal (PRTB), who came in third with 28.14% and missed the Oct. 27 runoff.

Incumbent Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastião Melo (MDB) and Federal Congresswoman Maria do Rosário (PT) will also clash on Oct. 27. With 99.74% of the votes counted, the Bolsonaro-supported Melo was very close to settling the dispute Sunday by getting 49.72% of the votes against Do Rosário's 26.27%.

Although Bolsonaro did not participate in Melo's campaign, his running mate Lieutenant Colonel Betina Worm signaled the alliance's ties with the retired Army captain all along.

Do Rosário blamed Melo for the May floods and accused him of not properly maintaining the drainage system and of cutting investments in the Municipal Water and Sewage Department (Dmae). In the 2022 elections, Lula and the PT beat Bolsonaro by seven points.