Paulo Serra withdraws from São Paulo governor race, seeks federal deputy seat

Paulo Serra, the state president of the PSDB party and former mayor of Santo André, has abandoned his bid for the governorship of São Paulo. He announced on Sunday, the 21st, that he will instead pursue a seat as a federal deputy in the upcoming elections.

Serra explained his decision stemmed from extensive reflection and dialogue regarding the current political landscape and how he could best contribute to São Paulo and Brazil. "After a broad process of reflection, dialogue, and evaluation of the current political moment and how I can contribute more effectively to São Paulo and Brazil, I have made the decision not to run for Governor of the State in the 2026 elections," he stated in a release.

He expressed his intention to take the principles of planning, fiscal responsibility, innovation, and administrative efficiency, which he implemented during his tenure, to the national Congress. "I officially announce my pre-candidacy for federal deputy. I want to take to the National Congress what we have learned and put into practice over the past years: planning, fiscal responsibility, innovation, administrative efficiency, and, above all, commitment to people," Serra affirmed.

Serra's potential gubernatorial candidacy faced challenges, including the withdrawal of other potential candidates and shifting party alliances. The PSDB had been in talks with other parties to support Serra's bid, but the landscape shifted when Solidariedade and PRD declared their support for Tarcísio de Freitas's re-election campaign. This leaves the São Paulo gubernatorial race with Tarcísio de Freitas and Fernando Haddad as the main pre-candidates.