The electoral geography of the Workers’ Party in Brazilian municipal elections (2000-2024)

Expansion, consolidation and territorial retrenchment

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-5269.154999

Abstract

This article analyzes the electoral geography of the Workers’ Party (PT) in Brazilian municipal elections between 2000 and 2024. The study aims to understand the territorial evolution of the party’s presence in mayoral elections, identifying cycles of expansion, consolidation, and retrenchment over time. The research is based on a comparative analysis of electoral results for municipal executive offices using official data from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), systematized through regional maps and graphs. The findings indicate that, after a period of significant national expansion between 2000 and 2012, PT experienced a sharp decline starting in 2016, followed by a territorial reconfiguration of its municipal base. In this new scenario, the Northeast has consolidated itself as the party’s main electoral stronghold, while regions such as the Southeast, North, and Center-West show more limited presence. The article contributes to the literature on parties and territory by demonstrating a process of regionalization of the PT’s electoral base in contemporary Brazil.

Keywords: Municipal Elections; Electoral Geography; Workers’ Party; Electoral Regionalization.

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Author Biographies

Vinicius Rainer Boniolo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Vinícius Rainer Boniolo is an environmental engineer and doctoral candidate in Environment and Society at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). He is the vice-coordinator of the Center for Political Analysis, Art, Literature and Music (NAPALM) at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Lagoa do Sino Campus. He was the Municipal Secretary of Environment and Rural Development for the municipality of Campina do Monte Alegre/SP. 

Alex Marcelo de Campos, Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Alex Marcelo de Campos is a master's student in the Professional Master's Program in Chemistry (PROFQUI) at the State University of Londrina (UEL). He works as a Chemistry teacher in secondary and higher education. He participates in initiatives related to sustainable territorial development, rural education, and the integration of scientific knowledge with local communities.

Aldenor da Silva Ferreira, Universidade Federal de São Carlos

Aldenor da Silva Ferreira holds a PhD in Social Sciences and is a professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Lagoa do Sino Campus. He coordinates the Postgraduate Program in Conservation and Sustainability (PPGCS) and the Center for Political Analysis, Art, Literature and Music (NAPALM), an interdisciplinary space focused on critical reflection on society, nature, culture and politics.

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Published

2026-09-01

How to Cite

Rainer Boniolo, V., Marcelo de Campos, A., & da Silva Ferreira, A. (2026). The electoral geography of the Workers’ Party in Brazilian municipal elections (2000-2024): Expansion, consolidation and territorial retrenchment. Revista Debates, 20(2), 138–159. https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-5269.154999

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2026): The Far Right in Comparative Perspective - Vol. II

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Articles

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