Brazil Election Monitor #1: Party conventions countdown

Research evidence excerpt

Brazil Election Monitor #1: Party conventions countdown

14 July 2026

Brazil Election Monitor #1 EconomicsBrazil

Party conventions countdown

◆ Party conventions will take place in the next three weeks, and Daniel Lavarda

with them the de facto onset of the presidential race Head of Brazil Economics Research Banco HSBC S.A.

daniel.lavarda@hsbc.com

◆ Names of candidates for the vice-presidential ticket remain +55 11 2802 2640

open for the Bolsonaro and Zema campaigns

◆ Three relevant polls to be released in the next few days; no

significant changes in voter intentions are expected

Official party conventions are about to kick off. This week, candidates will be

preparing for the party conventions, scheduled to take place between 20 July and

5 August, according to the official calendar. The conventions mark the de facto start

of the campaigns, although the deadline for formal registration with the Superior

Electoral Court (TSE) is not until 15 August. Beyond the fanfare of public speeches,

green-and-yellow flags, and fireworks, there’s also the need to decide the vice-

presidential running mates beforehand.

The lack of names for the vice-presidential slot reflects the difficulties of

building party coalitions. VP selection is a tough political undertaking. Brazil is a

large country, and parties tend to shift further right or left depending on the region

and state-level rivalries. Thus, most parties tend to avoid taking sides in the national

election, as that leaves room to build regional alliances as needed. In addition, not

taking sides allow for parties to spend their share of public funds in the campaigns for

the Lower House and Senate.

Several centrist parties will not take sides in the presidential election. The main

ones are MDB, União Brasil, PP, PSDB and Cidadania.