At 91 years old, oldest state deputy elected in 2026 makes history at the polls
The oldest state deputy elected in 2026 is 91 years old and has a long career in Brazilian politics. Get to know the story behind the election.
At 91, Luiza Erundina, a state deputy elected by São Paulo, achieved a historic milestone in the 2026 elections. The former mayor of the São Paulo capital secured a seat in the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp) and became the oldest elected state parliamentarian in the country this year.
Erundina received 169,567 votes and finished the contest in the 13th placement among the candidates elected to the São Paulo Assembly. The new mandate begins in 2027.
Alesp has 94 seats. With the result of the polls, Erundina outnumbers in age Eduardo Suplicy, 85, who until then was the oldest parliamentarian of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo.
Who is Luiza Erundina?
Born on November 30, 1934, in the municipality of Uiraúna, in Paraíba, Luiza Erundina built an extensive trajectory in Brazilian politics.
Graduated in Social Work by the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), she also holds a master’s degree in Sociological Sciences from the Foundation School of Sociology and Politics of São Paulo.
One of the best-known moments of his career occurred in the late 1980s. Elected by the PT, Erundina took over the prefecture of São Paulo in 1989 and ruled the largest city in the country until 1992.
Later, she pursued a career in Congresso Nacional and accumulated seven terms as a federal deputy.
Trajectory marked by social projects
Throughout her parliamentary work, Erundina participated in debates and projects related to housing policies, women’s rights, health, childhood and popular participation.
Among the measures associated with its legislative trajectory are the creation of the Toy Library Law, which made it mandatory to install these spaces in health units with pediatric care in hospitalization regime.
It was also linked to the legislation that guarantees pregnant women who are served by the Unified Health System (SUS) prior knowledge of the maternity hospital where they will receive assistance during childbirth.
Another approved initiative instituted the National Day of Forró, celebrated on December 13, the date of Luiz Gonzaga’s birth.
What guidelines does Erundina intend to defend in Alesp?
In the state mandate, Erundina presents among its main flags themes related to urban mobility and zero tariff, defense of the rights of women, children and adolescents, democratization of communication and popular participation.
Human rights, memory and justice also appear among the themes defended by the parliamentary, in addition to universal public policies in the areas of health, education and social assistance.
The election at 91 adds another chapter to a political trajectory that crosses different periods of Brazilian recent history and now passes through the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo.
