# 2020 Mato Grosso senatorial special election

A special election for the Brazilian Senate in Mato Grosso took place on 15 November 2020, to fill a vacancy in the Federal Senate through the end of the term ending on 1 February 2027, arising from the expelling of Selma Arruda from the upper house after a trial in the Superior Electoral Court.

## History

On 10 December 2019, the Superior Electoral Court considered valid the repeal of senator Selma Arruda term, along with her substitutes, elect in 2018. The former judge was accused of omitting expenses of R$ 1.2 million (US$ 328,425.2, as of 2018) in her electoral campaign to fill one of the two seats available and represent the state of Mato Grosso in the Senate, configuring supposed slush funds and abuse of economic power. It is necessary a bureaucratic act from the Senate Director Board to fulfill this decision. Selma Arruda could appeal to the Supreme Federal Court, but the appeal, at first, cannot suspend the TSE decision.
After the night of 12 March 2020, all the 12 candidacies were published and registered in the Regional Electoral Court of Mato Grosso.
Senator Selma was officially removed from the Senate on 15 April 2020. The 3rd place of the 2018 Senate election, Cárlos Favaro (PSD), temporarily took office as Senator. The election was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

## Electoral process

The election was disputed in a single round, with the most voted declared the winner of the election, regardless the vote percentage.

## Candidates

| Party | Candidate | Most relevant political office or occupation | Party | Candidates for Alternate Senators | Coalition | Electoral number |
| Workers' Party (PT) | Valdir Barranco | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso (since 2016) | Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) | 1st alternate senator: Maria Lúcia Neder | Defense of Life, Education, Land, Labour and Citizenship Workers' Party (PT) Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) | 131 |
| Workers' Party (PT) | Valdir Barranco | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso (since 2016) | Workers' Party (PT) | 2nd alternate senator: Enelinda Scalla | Defense of Life, Education, Land, Labour and Citizenship Workers' Party (PT) Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) | 131 |
| Podemos (PODE) | José Medeiros | Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Podemos (PODE) | 1st alternate senator: Alexandre Agustin | — | 191 |
| Podemos (PODE) | José Medeiros | Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Podemos (PODE) | 2nd alternate senator: Zósima dos Santos | — | 191 |
| Social Christian Party (PSC) | Reinaldo Morais | Entrepreneur and author | Social Christian Party (PSC) | 1st alternate senator: Gilberto Cattani | Change Mato Grosso Social Christian Party (PSC) Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) | 200 |
| Social Christian Party (PSC) | Reinaldo Morais | Entrepreneur and author | Social Christian Party (PSC) | 2nd alternate senator: Neles Farias | Change Mato Grosso Social Christian Party (PSC) Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) | 200 |
| Christian Democracy (DC) | Elizeu Nascimento | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Social Liberal Party (PSL) | 1st alternate senator: Naime Moraes | Now It's the People's Turn Christian Democracy (DC) Social Liberal Party (PSL) | 270 |
| Christian Democracy (DC) | Elizeu Nascimento | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Social Liberal Party (PSL) | 2nd alternate senator: Marcio Paulo da Silva | Now It's the People's Turn Christian Democracy (DC) Social Liberal Party (PSL) | 270 |
| New Party (NOVO) | Feliciano Azuaga | Economist and university professor | New Party (NOVO) | 1st alternate senator: Antônio Carlos Rezende | — | 300 |
| New Party (NOVO) | Feliciano Azuaga | Economist and university professor | New Party (NOVO) | 2nd alternate senator: Vanessa Tomizawa | — | 300 |
| Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) | Nilson Leitão | Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Mato Grosso (2011–2019) | Democrats (DEM) | 1st alternate senator: Júlio Campos | Mato Grosso as Whole Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) Democrats (DEM) Liberal Party (PL) Christian Labour Party (PTC) | 456 |
| Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) | Nilson Leitão | Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Mato Grosso (2011–2019) | Liberal Party (PL) | 2nd alternate senator: José Márcio Guedes | Mato Grosso as Whole Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) Democrats (DEM) Liberal Party (PL) Christian Labour Party (PTC) | 456 |
| Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) | Mauro César de Barros | State prosecutor | Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) | 1st alternate senator: Gonçalina de Melo | — | 500 |
| Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) | Mauro César de Barros | State prosecutor | Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) | 2nd alternate senator: Wanderley da Guia | — | 500 |
| Patriota | Rúbia Fernanda | Colonel of the Mato Grosso Military Police | Patriota | 1st alternate senator: Victório Galli | My Party is Brazil. Our Mission is Mato Grosso Patriota Republicanos | 511 |
| Patriota | Rúbia Fernanda | Colonel of the Mato Grosso Military Police | Patriota | 2nd alternate senator: Luciano Esteves | My Party is Brazil. Our Mission is Mato Grosso Patriota Republicanos | 511 |
| Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Carlos Fávaro | Senator for Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Progressistas (PP) | 1st alternate senator: Margareth Busetti | Do More for Mato Grosso Social Democratic Party (PSD) Progressistas (PP) Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) Green Party (PV) | 555 |
| Social Democratic Party (PSD) | Carlos Fávaro | Senator for Mato Grosso (since 2019) | Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) | 2nd alternate senator: José Lacerda | Do More for Mato Grosso Social Democratic Party (PSD) Progressistas (PP) Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) Green Party (PV) | 555 |
| Avante | Euclides Ribeiro | Entrepreneur and lawyer | Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) | 1st alternate senator: Francileide Fontinelle | Forward Mato Grosso Avante Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) Democratic Labour Party (PDT) Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS) Sustainability Network (REDE) | 700 |
| Avante | Euclides Ribeiro | Entrepreneur and lawyer | Democratic Labour Party (PDT) | 2nd alternate senator: Ernando Cardoso | Forward Mato Grosso Avante Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) Democratic Labour Party (PDT) Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS) Sustainability Network (REDE) | 700 |
| Solidariedade | Pedro Taques | Governor of Mato Grosso (2015–2019) | Cidadania | 1st alternate senator: Fausto Freitas | We're All Mato Grosso Solidariedade Cidadania | 777 |
| Solidariedade | Pedro Taques | Governor of Mato Grosso (2015–2019) | Cidadania | 2nd alternate senator: Elza Queiroz | We're All Mato Grosso Solidariedade Cidadania | 777 |

## Opinion polls

| Pollster/client(s) | Date(s) conducted | Sample size | Fávaro PSD | Leitão PSDB | Taques SDD | Barros PSOL | Siqueira PATRI | Medeiros PODE | Nascimento DC | Barranco PT | Ribeiro AVANTE | Morais PSC | Azuaga NOVO | Abst. Undec. | Lead |
| RealTime Big Data/CNN Brasil | 7–10 Nov | 850 | 20% | 14% | 14% | 9% | 7% | 9% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 17% | 6 |
| RealTime Big Data/CNN Brasil | 3–4 Nov | 1,050 | 16% | 13% | 12% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 25% | 3% |
| Ibope | 30 Oct–2 Nov | 812 | 13% | 13% | 13% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 24% | Tie |
| Segmenta/Mega FM Archived 2020-10-31 at the Wayback Machine | 16–20 Oct | 1,012 | 23.17% | 14.08% | 11.23% | 15.33% | 13.19% | 6.42% | 8.02% | 3.92% | 1.07% | 2.50% | 0.89% | – | 7.84% |

## Results

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Carlos Fávaro (incumbent) | PSD | 371,857 | 25.97 |
| | Rúbia Fernanda | Patriota | 293,362 | 20.49 |
| | Nilson Leitão | PSDB | 157,504 | 11.00 |
| | José Medeiros | PODE | 138,922 | 9.70 |
| | Valdir Barranco | PT | 117,933 | 8.24 |
| | Mauro César | PSOL | 97,573 | 6.82 |
| | Pedro Taques | Solidariedade | 71,368 | 4.98 |
| | Elizeu Nascimento | DC | 66,966 | 4.68 |
| | Euclides Ribeiro | Avante | 58,455 | 4.08 |
| | Reinaldo Morais | PSC | 36,545 | 2.55 |
| | Feliciano Azuaga | NOVO | 21,214 | 1.48 |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,431,699 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,431,699 | 82.87 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 142,936 | 8.27 |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | 152,985 | 8.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,727,620 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 2,317,102 | 74.56 |
| | PSD gain from PSL | PSD gain from PSL | PSD gain from PSL | PSD gain from PSL |