Fernando Haddad speaks to supporters after losing, for the second time, the position of governor of São Paulo. — Photo: João de Mari/g1
After the defeat to Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) in the dispute for the governor of São Paulo, Fernando Haddad (PT) stated this Sunday (4) that he had a “high-level clash” during the campaign and wished “the best” for the state. The PT member also said that he intends to act as an opposition “in the most constructive way possible” to improve the population’s living conditions.
After confirming Tarcísio's victory, Haddad said he called the re-elected governor, at 7:11 pm, to congratulate him and wish him good luck. This was the second time that Haddad ran for governor of São Paulo. In 2022, he reached the second round against Tarcísio, but ended up defeated.
“I called Governor Tarcísio, greeting him, wishing him good luck, reiterating that the criticisms I made were programmatic criticisms, from people who think differently, but who want the good of the state,” he stated.
According to Haddad, the criticisms made during the campaign were based on studies and proposals and aimed to defend what he considers best for São Paulo.
"Criticisms that were studied with consistency, with coherence, with what we think is the best for São Paulo society, the best for Brazilian society", he said.
Haddad followed the investigation at the Hotel Meliá Paulista, on Avenida Paulista, in the capital. During the count, the atmosphere among supporters at the hotel was tense. Those present followed the counting of votes on the big screen set up at the venue and showed concern as Tarcísio's lead increased.
The PT member also stated that he intends to act as a constructive opposition during Tarcísio's next term.
"Wish the best for our state, put ourselves, as an opposition, in the most constructive way possible to improve the living conditions of our people."
"I think we had a high-level clash, a match worthy of the people of São Paulo."
At 8:35 pm, with 95.45% of the ballots counted, Tarcísio had 62.71% of the valid votes, against 36.37% for Haddad.
The state president of the PT in São Paulo, Kiko Celeguim, spoke before Haddad and said that the focus now of the party's directorate in the state will be to follow the campaign of the president and candidate for re-election Lula (PT) for the second round. Senate candidate Marina Silva (Rede), who was not elected, also participated in the ceremony after the result was confirmed.
Campaign
Haddad arrived at the 2026 campaign as a former Finance Minister in the Lula government and returned to run for the São Paulo government two years after being defeated by Tarcísio in the 2022 second round. The PT made its candidacy official in July, at a convention in Campinas, with Márcio França (PSB) as the candidate for vice-governor.
The campaign officially began in August, with Haddad alongside Lula in São Bernardo do Campo, a city that is one of the main symbols in the history of the PT. Haddad returned to the PT stronghold on Friday (2).
From the first acts, the candidate sought to associate his candidacy with the federal government and present the state election as a dispute between different projects for São Paulo.
The privatizations carried out or defended by the Tarcísio government were among Haddad's main targets during the campaign. The PT member criticized the privatization of Sabesp and the concession of transport services, in addition to exploring problems registered in services managed by private companies.
In the debates between the two, on Band, in August, and on TV Globo, in September, privatizations, economy, public security and the relationship with the federal government were among the main themes of the confrontation.
Haddad also focused part of the campaign on economic proposals. Among them, he defended the reindustrialization of São Paulo, the creation of a state development bank inspired by the BNDES and greater rapprochement between universities, Fapesp and companies. In the final stretch, he stated that professional training and secondary education should be adapted to the new demands of the industry.
Health, education and security were other aspects of the candidacy. In interviews and debates, Haddad criticized Tarcísio government policies and presented proposals such as the creation of an agency to combat criminal factions, in addition to defending changes in the organization of the health network and investments in education.
The campaign was also marked by the difference in electoral propaganda time. Tarcísio had 6 minutes and 20 seconds of television advertising, while Haddad had 2 minutes and 40 seconds, according to TRE-SP data cited by the candidate.
Two days before the election, in an agenda at the ABC Metalworkers Union, Haddad stated that his campaign had “accomplished its objective” despite little TV time and few opportunities for confrontation. According to him, the candidacy had brought to voters his criticisms of the state's situation in the areas of security, health and education.
Haddad in a press conference after the debate — Photo: Globo/Bob Paulino
Who is Fernando Haddad
Fernando Haddad, 63 years old, is a lawyer, teacher and PT politician. Born in São Paulo, he is the son of Lebanese immigrants and graduated in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP), where he also received a master's degree in Economics and a doctorate in Philosophy. He is a professor at the Department of Political Science at USP.
His career in public power began at São Paulo City Hall, where he was Undersecretary of Finance during Marta Suplicy's administration. In the federal government, he worked at the Ministry of Planning and, in 2004, he became executive secretary of the Ministry of Education. The following year, he took charge of the department, a position he held from 2005 to 2012, during the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff governments.
At the head of the Ministry of Education, Haddad participated in the implementation and expansion of programs such as ProUni, Sisu, Enem and federal institutes. In 2012, he left the federal government to run for Mayor of São Paulo. He was elected in the second round and commanded the capital between 2013 and 2016.
At city hall, some of his main landmarks were urban mobility policies, such as the expansion of cycle paths and the revision of the Master Plan. In 2016, he sought re-election, but was defeated by João Doria (PSDB) in the first round.
Two years later, Haddad was chosen by the PT to replace Lula in the race for the Presidency of the Republic, after the Superior Electoral Court barred the former president's candidacy. Haddad reached the second round, but lost the election to Jair Bolsonaro.
In 2022, he returned to run for governor of São Paulo. He reached the second round against Tarcísio de Freitas, but ended up defeated. In 2023, he took over the Ministry of Finance in the third Lula government, where he remained until March 2026, when he left the position to run again for the São Paulo government.
