Known Candidates Don't Run in SP for 2026 Elections

Known names of São Paulo politics returned to the polls in the 2026 elections, but failed to get a seat in the Chamber of Deputies or the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp) on Sunday (4). Among the candidates who were left out are José Dirceu (PT), Rui Falcão (PT), Paulo Teixeira (PT), Orlando Silva (PT), Janaina Paschoal (PP) and Valeria Bolsonaro (PL).

The individual vote, however, does not alone determine who gets a seat in the Chamber of Deputies or in Alesp. The two elections follow the proportional system, which takes into account the votes received by the candidates and the subtitles to define how many seats each party or federation wins. Therefore, one candidate can receive more votes individually than another and still not be elected.

Expressive voting does not guarantee mandate

In the contest for the House, Rui Falcão was the most voted among the names on the list that did not get a seat, with 106,443 votes. Just behind appears Paulo Teixeira, with 106,062. José Dirceu, who again contested an election after years out of the polls, received 78,450 votes and was also not elected. Orlando Silva received 78,098 votes.

These numbers show that even with six-digit voting, the distribution of seats by the electoral and party quotient can leave candidates out. The source did not detail the individual performance of Janaina Paschoal, Father Kelmon and Valeria Bolsonaro, but confirmed that none of them had succeeded.

The Elected and the Strength of the Parties

São Paulo elected 70 federal and 94 state deputies on Sunday. In the federal dispute, Lucas Pavanato (PL) was the most voted candidate, with 3,038,438 votes, followed by Erika Hilton (PSOL), with 1,596,472, and Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL), with 583,107.

The PL won 17 of the 70 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The PT elected 11 parliamentarians, while Podemos, MDB and PSOL got five each. In the state contest, Eduarda Campopiano (PL) led the vote, with 1,956,238 votes. Eduardo Suplicy (PT) came in second place with 654,627, and Sofia Favero (PSOL), in third, with 407,773.

Why are famous names left out?

The Brazilian proportional system distributes the vacancies according to the total votes of the party or federation, and not only by individual voting. Thus, a candidate may have high votes, but if his party does not reach the electoral quotient, he does not enter. In addition, within the party, the candidates are ordered by the vote, and only the best positioned occupy the seats won by the legend.

This mechanism explains why José Dirceu, former minister and historical figure of the PT, was unable to return to Congress even with 78,450 votes. The same goes for Rui Falcão and Paulo Teixeira, who surpassed the 100,000 votes, but lagged behind other names in the party’s internal distribution.

Impact on the Paulist policy

The non-election of these names can alter the balance of forces in the São Paulo bench. The PL, with 17 seats, strengthens the base of the former president Jair Bolsonaro in the state. The PT, with 11, maintains a relevant presence, but loses experienced cadres such as Dirceu and Falcão. The PSOL, with five seats, consolidates names such as Erika Hilton and Sâmia Bomfim, who had expressive votes.

For voters, the result reinforces the importance of understanding the proportional system: voting on a candidate does not guarantee his election, because the vote also strengthens the party. The source did not elaborate on whether the unelected candidates intend to take on other functions or contest new elections.

Next steps

The elected representatives will take office on February 1, 2027, according to the electoral calendar. Until then, the parties must reorganize their strategies for the 2028 municipal elections. The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to follow the developments of the São Paulo and national politics.

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