Rio’s Centrist Mayor Paes Abandons City Hall for Governor’s Race — What Expats Need to Know

2026-02-02 - 10:35

Key Points Eduardo Paes (PSD), a centrist-populist allied with President Lula’s left-wing coalition, will resign as Rio’s mayor on March 20 to run for governor, breaking his 2024 campaign promise to serve until 2028. His departure could shift Rio de Janeiro state from its current right-leaning government under Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) to a Lula-aligned