Public security, health decentralization and clashes: what the campaign for the government of Paraíba was like

The campaign for the government of Paraíba ends this Saturday (3). The period was marked by debates about health, public safety, direct clashes and legal actions.

Candidates Cícero Lucena, Efraim Filho and Lucas Ribeiro presented proposals for the decentralization of health. Regarding security, they discussed the operation of 24-hour police stations and the fight against crime.

The dispute saw exchanges of accusations in debates and actions in the Electoral Court for abuse of power. National political themes took a backseat in the campaign.

The campaign for the first round of the 2026 Elections ends this Saturday (3). The dispute for the government of Paraíba was marked by discussions on central issues for the population such as public security and decentralization of health services. The campaign also saw heated clashes and exchanges of accusations between the main candidates, including lawsuits.

One of the candidates for government, of the initial six who registered a candidacy, Pedro Coutinho (DC), withdrew from the race.

The following candidates are competing for the government of Paraíba this Sunday:

Camilo Duarte (PCO)

Cicero Lucena (MDB)

Efraim Filho (PL)

Lucas Ribeiro (PP)

Yuri Ezequiel (UP)

The government candidates' proposals, however, were not the only aspects of the campaign, which was also marked by direct clashes between competitors, whether in debates, hearings or during rallies.

g1 separated the main information about how the election campaign for the government of Paraíba went, such as which problems in the state were most addressed by the candidates; The proposals that gained the most space in the campaign; What was left out or had less space, among others.

Topics most covered by candidates

Health was a topic of concern among voters, highlighted as one of the state's main problems, and also one of the most debated issues by candidates for the government of Paraíba. One of the main points addressed by the names in the dispute was the decentralization of services. This issue appeared in government plans and also in public statements.

When talking about public health, Cícero Lucena (MDB) proposed expanding the services offered by Hospital Napoleão Laureano to the interior, as well as partnering with municipalities in primary care. Efraim Filho (PL), on the other hand, suggested the use of telemedicine as a way to provide medical care to the population, and to implement a network of urgencies and emergencies with coverage in the Sertão;

Lucas Ribeiro (PP) cited the works at the Cajazeiras Hospital, which will provide an increase in beds and ICUs in the Sertão. Furthermore, the candidate also recalled the ongoing installation of a linear accelerator for radiotherapy at Hospital do Bem, in Patos.

Security was another topic present in debates, interviews and Government plans. The main points discussed by the candidates are police salaries, the fight against organized crime, monitoring networks and the functioning of police stations in the state.

Lucas Ribeiro and Cícero Lucena were two candidates who focused on strengthening integrated command and control centers (CICC) and combating organized crime. The MDB candidate and Yuri Ezequiel (UP) spoke about the implementation of specialized police stations (DEAMs) 24 hours a day in all regions.

Efraim Filho spoke about the salaries of public security professionals and the operation of 24-hour police stations.

Heated clashes

During the campaign period, the candidates clashed during debates in the press in Paraíba.

In the first confrontation, Cícero Lucena, Efraim Filho and Lucas Ribeiro exchanged accusations and had discussions regarding structural works and public safety. Among the barbs exchanged, the PP candidate stated that Cícero's mark on João Pessoa City Hall "is the abandonment" of works and Lucena replied that services were not abandoned.

Still in the same debate, Lucas stated that Efraim is linked to people involved in INSS fraud. The PL candidate responded by stating that people linked to the candidate's family, in addition to the president of his party, are linked to fraudulent schemes.

During participation in another broadcaster's debate, Cícero and Lucas exchanged accusations involving the activities of criminal factions in the state. After citing investments in the Civil Police, Lucas stated that the MDB candidate would have allowed the hiring of people linked to criminal organizations in the management of the Capital. Cícero stated that factions are not a recent problem and that they already come from previous administrations.

In the last debate, held by TV Cabo Branco, the MDB and PL candidates criticized Lucas Ribeiro regarding the call for successful candidates in contests as governor. Cícero Lucena also spoke about the Ponte do Futuro embargo, after one worker died and two were injured. Lucas, on the other hand, criticized the other candidates about their stance on the death of the worker on the construction site.

Actions in court

During the campaign period, candidate Cícero Lucena filed a lawsuit with the Regional Electoral Court (TRE) against Lucas Ribeiro. One of the Judicial Electoral Investigation Actions (AIJE) points to alleged abuse of political and economic power and prohibited conduct by "bloating" the personnel sheet with employees hired in the first half of the election year.

Lucas Ribeiro was asked to be ineligible for eight years. The legal coordination of the governor's campaign defended the "regularity of management acts, always guided by the public interest, administrative responsibility and strict compliance with legislation".

In a more recent action, Cícero's campaign filed a lawsuit to investigate an alleged “vote buying documentation” platform on the part of candidate Lucas Ribeiro's campaign.

Candidate Yuri Ezequiel also filed a lawsuit against the governor over the alleged use of state school structures for electoral purposes. The petition points out possible cases of abuse of political and economic power, conduct prohibited by public agents and illicit vote capture.

What was left out

Among the discussions that were left out, or in the background in the state elections for Paraíba, were issues related to the presidential dispute. State candidates, in debates and hearings, did not give greater space to align speeches with candidates at the national level.

The two main presidential candidates, Lula (PT) and Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), did not campaign in the state, even though they were directly supported by two names in the state's dispute, respectively Lucas Ribeiro and Efraim Filho.

Furthermore, during the electoral campaign there was also the unfolding of the crisis in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), involving ministers Alexandre de Moraes and André Mendonça, in the Master Case and Daniel Vorcado, former owner of the bank and arrested for crimes of money laundering, corruption, criminal organization, financial fraud, threats and invasion of cyber systems. This topic was not regularly addressed by the candidates, despite sporadic mentions in relation to the case.