Rio de Janeiro’s regional electoral court confirmed Saturday that Douglas Ruas won the gubernatorial race outright after judges threw out 274,411 votes cast for a disqualified candidate, eliminating what voters thought would be an October runoff.
Ruas, backed by presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, secured 50.88% of valid votes after the recalculation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s candidate, Eduardo Paes, finished with 44.16%. The court will formally declare Ruas the winner Oct. 15.
Disqualified Candidate Stayed on Ballot Despite Ban
The vote annulment followed a 5-2 ruling Thursday by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court invalidating all ballots cast for former Governor Anthony Garotinho. An administrative misconduct conviction had suspended Garotinho’s political rights, but he appealed and remained on the ballot through election day.
The decision means thousands of Rio voters who cast ballots for Garotinho effectively had their votes erased from the final tally. Those votes would have forced a runoff between Ruas and Paes under the original count.
Paes Concedes After Supreme Court Denies Runoff Request
Paes conceded Thursday night after Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin rejected his coalition’s emergency request to preserve the scheduled Oct. 25 runoff. Zanin ruled that Paes had not exhausted all appeals within the electoral court system first.
“Unfortunately, the courts decided there will be no runoff, contrary to the voters’ sovereign will,” Paes said in a statement. “We respect judicial decisions. That is how democracy works.”
The ruling hands Ruas immediate control of Brazil’s second-most populous state without facing voters again. Rio’s governorship controls a $40 billion annual budget and security forces responsible for one of Latin America’s most violent urban areas.
The vote-counting commission must still review the final report before the Oct. 15 certification. Ruas will take office in January if the certification stands.
Key Points
- Rio’s electoral court confirmed Douglas Ruas won governorship with 50.88% after annulling rival’s votes
- 274,411 voters who chose disqualified Anthony Garotinho had ballots thrown out post-election
- Decision eliminates runoff, hands immediate victory to Bolsonaro ally over Lula’s candidate Eduardo Paes
https://www.courthousenews.com/rio-court-confirms-flavio-bolsonaro-allys-first-round-victory/ – October 10, 2026
