The Workers' Party (PT) officially nominated Fernando Haddad as its candidate for governor of São Paulo on June 25, 2026 [1].
Haddad, a former finance minister and former mayor of São Paulo, is now positioned to challenge incumbent Governor Tarcísio de Freitas in the upcoming gubernatorial election. The race is a critical battleground for Brazilian politics, as São Paulo represents the state with the largest economy and population in the country.
The nomination took place during the PT convention held in Campinas, São Paulo state [1]. Along with Haddad, the party selected former minister Márcio França to serve as the candidate for vice-governor [1, 2].
The path to the nomination followed a phased announcement. The party first identified Haddad as a pre-candidate on June 19, 2026 [2]. During that period, Haddad addressed the risks and nature of political competition. "You can have a defeat in any election, but a political defeat, never," Haddad said [2].
Current polling presents a divided landscape for the candidates. Data from RealTime indicates that Haddad leads in the capital city of São Paulo [2]. However, other RealTime data suggests that Tarcísio de Freitas maintains a lead across the state as a whole [3].
Haddad's candidacy leverages his previous experience managing both the city of São Paulo and the national treasury. His pairing with França is intended to broaden the party's appeal across different sectors of the electorate, as they prepare for the final stretch of the 2026 campaign cycle.
“"You can have a defeat in any election, but a political defeat, never."”
The nomination of Fernando Haddad signals the PT's strategy to reclaim Brazil's most influential state by fielding a high-profile administrator with both local and federal experience. By pairing him with Márcio França, the party is attempting to build a coalition capable of overcoming the incumbent's statewide lead while capitalizing on Haddad's strength in the urban center of São Paulo.
