Quaest poll puts Cleitinho ahead in Minas Gerais, with Patrus, Kalil and Simões tied for second

Senator Cleitinho Azevedo remains ahead in the race for governor of Minas Gerais, with 32% support in a new Quaest poll. The figure is up from the 29% recorded by the institute in August.

Deputy Patrus Ananias and former Belo Horizonte mayor Alexandre Kalil are technically tied for second, each with 11%. Governor Mateus Simões follows with 8%. Flávio Roscoe, who has the backing of Flávio Bolsonaro, and former Belo Horizonte council speaker Gabriel Azevedo each register 3%. Ben Mendes has 2%, while Indira Xavier has 1%. Three candidates received no support in the stimulated poll.

Nineteen percent of respondents were undecided, and 12% said they would cast a blank or invalid ballot or would not vote in October. In the spontaneous survey, where pollsters did not show candidate names, Cleitinho led with 16%, followed by Patrus Ananias at 4%, Alexandre Kalil at 2% and Mateus Simões at 1%. Seventy-three percent were undecided.

The Senate contest is closer. Former Contagem mayor Marília Campos led numerically with 13%, followed by Aécio Neves with 10%, Carlos Viana with 8%, Domingos Sávio with 6%, Marcelo Aro with 4% and Áurea Carolina with 2%. Several other candidates received 1% each, while 29% were undecided and 21% said they would vote blank or invalid or would not vote.

Commissioned by TV Globo and registered with Brazil’s electoral court under MG-04716/2026, the poll surveyed 1,506 voters aged 16 or older from September 4 to 7. The confidence level was 95%, with a maximum margin of error of three percentage points. Cleitinho’s candidacy has faced uncertainty during the pre-campaign. He announced a withdrawal in early August, then pressed the Republicans leadership to keep his name at the top of its ticket. The dispute led the Liberal Party to field Roscoe separately, creating an informal dual platform for the party in Minas Gerais.