Eduardo Paes Leads Rio Gubernatorial Race

New Paraná Pesquisas survey puts former mayor ahead as he ramps up evangelical outreach

Former Rio de Janeiro mayor, Eduardo Paes (PSD), is back in the headlines after registering 43.5% of voting intentions for the state government, according to a survey released this Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The result comes amidst a series of meetings with evangelical leaders, who have the potential to influence the election.

Voting Intentions for Rio Governor

Paraná Pesquisas interviewed 1,600 voters from Rio de Janeiro state between September 5 and 7. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points, with a 95% confidence level. In the general scenario, Paes has 43.5% of voting intentions, followed by Douglas Ruas (PL) with 20.3% and Anthony Garotinho (Republicanos) with 9.8%.

Scenario Without Anthony Garotinho

When the Republicanos candidate is excluded – a situation that could be confirmed by the Electoral Justice – Paes rises to 47.4% of preferences, while Ruas reaches 22.7%. In both scenarios, the difference exceeds the margin of error, indicating that Paes could win in the first round.

Presence Among Evangelicals

In recent weeks, Paes participated in at least four meetings with religious leaders, including a gathering in Nova Iguaçu organized by Bishop Abner Ferreira, of the Assembleia de Deus Madureira, with approximately a thousand pastors. The former mayor also attended the "Destinos" event by theologian Tiago Brunet, alongside gospel singer Fernanda Brum, and participated in a visit to Mount Sinai, in Xerém, wearing a shirt with a cross.

Jane Reis as an Electoral Signal

The choice of his running mate, Jane Reis, an evangelical married to an Assembleia de Deus pastor, was presented as a "clear signal" to the segment. In 20 days of campaigning, she accompanied Paes to at least five events with evangelicals, reinforcing the candidate's presence among the group that represents about 32% of the state's adult population.

Senate Results

The same survey also tested intentions for the Senate. Benedita da Silva (PT) leads with 30.7%, followed by Marcelo Crivella (Republicanos) with 20.5% and Pedro Paulo (PSD) with 17.8%. Carlos Jordy and Carlos Portinho (both PL) appear at a similar level to Pedro Paulo, within the margin of error.

With information from VEJA, Poder360, O GLOBO.