During the last 15 years as senator for Amapá, Randolfe Rodrigues (PT) was at the center of the main political articulations in Brasília. Government leader in Congress, protagonist in CPIs and negotiations of interest to Planalto, he built national projection beyond the borders of the state he represented. The cycle comes to an end in 2026, as Randolfe failed to be re-elected.
In Amapá, voters chose Rayssa Furlan (Podemos) and Lucas Barreto (PSD) for the Senate. The result left out one of the most nationally known parliamentarians and symbolized a renewal of Amapá representation in the Senate.
Randolfe Rodrigues was the 3rd most voted to the Senate by Amapá on October 4th and lost the two seats that were up for grabs in the election.
But, after all, why was a parliamentarian recognized for his political influence in Brasília unable to repeat this prestige at the polls in his state?
For analysts interviewed by g1, the reasons for the defeat range from the parliamentarian's growing popularity, which may have contributed to changing the way part of the Amapá electorate sees him, to the gain in political relevance that exposed his candidacy to national ideological disputes.
Political scientist and professor at the Federal University of Amapá (Unifap), Paulo Gustavo Pellegrino, says that national polarization helps to explain performance at the polls.
"Evidently, a polarization between right, extreme right with the left, center-left has a very large impact locally. This does not exactly mean that Amapá is, fundamentally, a right-wing state [...], but that the right managed to articulate itself to win over voters in a much broader way than the center and mainly more than the left", he said.
Randolfe's defeat, according to political scientists, still involves different hypotheses, being one of the most emblematic examples of the renewal that reached experienced and nationally known leaders in the 2026 elections.
In a note sent to g1, the senator stated that the decision of the polls must always be accepted with maturity and democratic respect. "The local result reflects a broader movement that crossed the country and reconfigured forces in Parliament, impacting Amapá to the same extent as it was felt in several other regions of Brazil."
National or Amapá figure?
One of the best-known voices in Congress, Randolfe, according to experts interviewed by g1, maintained his national protagonism without leaving Amapá's agenda aside.
Professor at the Federal University of Amapá (Unifap), Dr. Paulo Gustavo Pellegrino Correa, who is a political scientist and coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Border Studies, cites as examples the senator's work on issues considered strategic for the State, such as oil exploration in the Equatorial Margin, the transfer of civil servants and demands linked to the federal university itself.
"I don't see Randolfe having distanced himself from the Amapá issues. For example, I will consider the Amapá issue, oil, the issue of transposition, his participation within Unifap. These are local issues in which he was very active", he states.
In the same vein, Unifap professor Dr. Daniel Chaves, who is a researcher of politics and contemporary history, assesses that the defeat cannot be explained solely based on local factors. According to him, there was a broader change in the behavior of the Amapá electorate, which was reflected in different disputes held this year.
"There is a change in polarity. Around 60% of the electorate [in Amapá] supported change in October this year, at the state level," he said.
Dr. Furlan, former mayor of Macapá, was elected governor after defeating Clécio Luís (PSD), a candidate seeking re-election to the state government.
Polarity in the dispute
Even in line with Amapá's agenda, experts believe that the fact that Randolfe took a leading role in national issues and became one of the main defenders of the Lula government in Congress had an impact on the electoral environment.
Daniel Chaves assesses that the defeat must be understood in a larger context of dispute between national political camps.
"National politics, of polarization between progressives and conservatives, also influenced. There was a change in the electorate's understanding and the senator's national positioning was also the target of this shift", he states.
Despite this, he considers that participation in CPIs, articulations and national debates should not be seen as a 'political error'.
"Whoever does not take a position in politics is, consequently, positioned. It was an investment in a national project with which his mandate was identified. This does not mean that politically Randolfe is a loser. Politics is as long as a film; elections are a portrait of that film at a given moment." explained.
For him, the electoral result does not end the political influence built over more than a decade and a half.
Renewal or loss of influence?
Experts disagree on the meaning of the change of representation in the Senate. For Pellegrino, Randolfe's departure tends to reduce, at least initially, Amapá's political weight in Brasília.
"Randolfe's national prominence in Brasília means that his departure represents a loss of political weight at first", he assesses.
He mentions that both Randolfe and senator Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil), who did not run for re-election to the Senate, accumulated national influence that was difficult to be replaced immediately by the new elected officials.
Daniel Chaves sees the result as a legitimate choice of the electorate in a democratic process of renewal, with new political actors.
"The ballot box is sovereign. The Amapá voter made his choices and political life continues beyond the vote. Senator Randolfe will certainly act, as the historic politician that he is, in the construction of the progressive field and its reevaluations", he said.
Looking to the future, Randolfe says that his values remain unshakable and that he will continue defending democracy and seeking social and economic advances.
"Our commitment to the population of Amapá and to the development of the state remains firm, and we will continue working for Amapá with the same dedication as always", stated the senator.
