The Battle for São Paulo: Why Lula’s Left Cannot Afford to Lose Brazil’s Richest State — And Why It Probably Will

2026-02-09 - 12:35

Key Points — São Paulo is Brazil’s largest electoral battleground — 33 million voters, 21.5% of the national electorate — and the state that can make or break President Lula’s 2026 re-election. His Workers’ Party (PT) has never won the governorship there in over four decades of trying. — Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, a right-wing