Full Breakdown
Novelty Candidates Surge in Brazil’s 2026 Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Historical Roots of Protest Candidacies
Brazil’s tradition of “novelty” or protest candidates dates to 1959, when a rhinoceros named Cacareco received thousands of votes in São Paulo. The practice faded under the 1964-1985 military regime but re-emerged with the return to democracy in 1989, highlighted by cardiologist Dr. Enéas Carneiro, who captured 360,000 votes in that year’s first direct presidential election and later placed third with 4.6 million votes. The 2010 election saw circus clown-comedian Tiririca win a congressional seat for São Paulo with more than 1.3 million votes, a feat he repeated in 2022 with 70,000 votes for a fifth term.
Key Figures and Their Personas
- Plínio Vicentin Jr. (59) – running for the federal Chamber of Deputies in Minas Gerais under the Novo Party as “Plínio Trump,” mimicking former U.S. President Donald Trump’s hairstyle, tie and handshake.
- Cláudio Henrique dos Anjos – adopts the name “Henrique Barack Obama” while seeking a Senate seat for the Federal District.
- Walcy Calixto Vieira – a 66-year-old carpenter campaigning as “Mick Jagger” in Goiás.
- Scheile Aparecida Soares Brandão – “Tsunami Grandmother,” candidate for the Minas Gerais state legislature.
- Francisco das Chagas Costa Oliveira – runs as “Who Who” in Piauí.
- Marcelo da Rosa – “Lonely Boy,” a truck driver from Paraná aiming for a congressional seat.
- Severino Cardoso Sobrinho – “Samurai Taxi Driver,” a nunchaku-master from Pernambuco.
Impact on Party Representation
More than 7,800 candidates are contesting the 2026 election, with a few hundred classified as novelty candidates. Brazil’s proportional representation system allocates seats based on party vote totals, so even low-vote novelty candidates can boost their party’s share of seats and public funding.
Official Statements & Verbatim Quotes
- “It is more about his posture,” — Claudio Santos
- “Some of these candidates have enough votes to win their own seats, but others just add 1,000 or 2,000 votes to their parties. They don’t get seats, but they help their parties secure a bigger slice of Congress and public funds,” — Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper university in São Paulo
These remarks illustrate how novelty candidates leverage recognizable names and personas to attract disillusioned voters while influencing Brazil’s legislative composition.