Ciro Gomes leads the Datafolha survey for the Government of Ceará with 46% of voting intentions

Former governor Ciro Gomes (PSDB) leads the dispute for the Government of Ceará, according to a Datafolha survey released this Thursday (3).

The toucan has 46% of voting intentions in the stimulated scenario, compared to 37% for governor Elmano de Freitas (PT), who is running for re-election. It is the first survey carried out after the official start of the campaign.

Vera Lúcia (Novo), Danilo Soares (Democrat) and Serley Leal (UP) scored 1% each. Delegate Huggo (Mission), Zé Batista (PSTU) and Ieri Braga (PCO) did not score. White, null or none make up 8%, while 5% said they were undecided.

In the previous Datafolha survey, released on August 13, Ciro Gomes had 52%, while Elmano de Freitas appeared with 33%.

It is not possible to make a comparison between the two polls in the first round scenario, as the list of candidates changed with the departure of Pedro Brito (Novo), replaced by Vera Lúcia (Novo), and the entry of Ieri Braga (PCO).

The survey, commissioned by the newspaper O Povo and registered with the Electoral Court under number CE-04122/2026, interviewed 1,204 voters aged 16 or over between Monday (31) and this Thursday. The margin of error is three percentage points, plus or minus, with a 95% confidence level.

In spontaneous research (when the names are not presented to the interviewee), Ciro Gomes has 29% of the citations, followed by Elmano, with 25%. Another 36% were unable to say who they would vote for, 4% said they voted blank or null, 4% gave other answers and 1% said they voted "for the current governor".

In the second round simulation, Ciro Gomes has 50%, against 42% for Elmano de Freitas. Whites and nulls total 5%, and 3% said they didn't know who to vote for. In the previous survey, in August, Ciro had 55% and Elmano 37% in the second round.

The survey also measured the rejection of possible candidates. Elmano has the highest rate (33%). Ciro Gomes is rejected by 26%.

Next are Delegado Huggo (19%), Zé Batista (18%), Vera Lúcia (16%), Danilo Soares (16%), Ieri Braga (13%) and Serley Leal (11%). Another 4% said they would vote for any candidate, 3% said they rejected all candidates and 9% said they did not know.

Governor of Ceará from 1991 to 1994, Ciro returned to run for office after more than three decades, anchored on a ticket called "Unir para Mudar", which also includes parties such as PL, União Brasil and PP.

The alliance between the PL and Ciro made the state the epicenter of a dispute that divided the conservative camp and exposed fissures between PL leaders and the Bolsonaro family, with public clashes between former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro and senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

The ticket has the former mayor of Fortaleza Roberto Cláudio (União Brasil) as vice-president, in addition to state deputy Alcides Fernandes (PL) and former federal deputy Captain Wagner (União Brasil) for the Senate.

In the government camp, Elmano de Freitas is running for re-election with Gabriella Aguiar (PSD) as vice candidate. Senator Cid Gomes (PSB), Ciro's brother, forms the ticket for the Senate alongside federal deputy Luizianne Lins (Rede), mayor of Fortaleza from 2005 to 2012.

Ceará is one of President Lula's priorities, who returns to the state this Friday (4) to participate in a political event alongside the governor.