12axes-testTake the test
Eduardo Paes
Current politicianBrazil

Eduardo Paes

Former Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (resigned March 2026); lost the October 2026 race for Governor of Rio de Janeiro · Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Eduardo da Costa Paes

Eduardo Paes was mayor of Rio de Janeiro until March 2026. He lost the governor's race in October 2026 after the electoral court annulled a rival's votes and Douglas Ruas won in the first round.

Positions as of 30 October 2026
Profile on 12 axes6 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign

Positions are taken from public statements, voting records and platforms as of 30 October 2026, and may have changed since. Report an inaccuracy.

Where they stand

The 12 axes, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership+15
    PublicPrivate

    Rio's Galeão airport has been run by a private operator since its 2014 concession, and he champions the result, though he also defends a state-set cap on a rival airport. The score is mildly private.

  2. 02Markets-10
    PlannedFree

    He backs a public cap on Santos Dumont flights as a policy that 'saved and strengthened' Galeão. That is an interventionist view of one market, so the score is mildly planned.

  3. 03Welfare-20
    SharedSelf-reliant

    In 2025 he set up a working group on offering semaglutide through the municipal health network. The evidence is thin and the score mildly toward shared provision.

  4. 04AuthorityNo clear record
    DemocraticStrong leader
  5. 05Security+35
    LibertyOrder

    He proposed an armed Municipal Security Force, firmer street patrols, and a refounded Guarda Municipal, while saying the state police must lead confrontations. The score leans toward order.

  6. 06Structure-15
    LocalCentral

    He argued that the state government must take up its constitutional responsibility on security while the city builds its own force. The score is mildly local.

  7. 07Morality-20
    ProgressiveTraditional

    He sanctioned a 2025 city law requiring condominiums to report domestic violence against women, children, the elderly and animals. The evidence is a single measure, so the score is mild.

  8. 08ReligionNo clear record
    SecularReligious
  9. 09TechnologyNo clear record
    EmbraceCaution
  10. 10CultureNo clear record
    MulticulturalNational identity
  11. 11TradeNo clear record
    GlobalProtected
  12. 12Foreign policyNo clear record
    CooperationStrength

6 axes have no clear record: no documented statement, vote or platform places Eduardo Paes there, so matching leaves them out.

Who is Eduardo Paes?

Eduardo Paes, born in 1969, has been a federal deputy, a state secretary and, in two spells, mayor of Rio de Janeiro. He took the city hall in 2009, led it through the 2016 Olympics, and returned in 2021, winning re-election in 2024. He resigned in March 2026 to run for governor for the PSD. In the first round on 4 October he finished second with 42.76 percent, behind Douglas Ruas of the PL at 49.27 percent. The electoral court then annulled the votes of third-placed Anthony Garotinho, and on 15 October the regional court proclaimed Ruas elected in the first round, with 50.88 percent against 44.16 percent for Paes.

Previously: Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (2009-2017 and 2021 to March 2026) · State Secretary of Tourism, Sports and Leisure of Rio de Janeiro (2007-2008) · Federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro (1999-2007)

Documented positions

  • On taking office in January 2025 he proposed an armed Municipal Security Force to complement the state police, with a working group to study it.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • The same day he announced a refoundation of the Guarda Municipal and a working group on semaglutide in the city health network.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • In December 2025 he defended the federal cap of 6.5 million passengers a year at Santos Dumont as a policy that 'saved and strengthened' Galeão.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • A city law he sanctioned in 2025 requires condominiums to report domestic violence against women, children, the elderly and animals, with fines from the second violation.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • In October 2026 he said he is neither a PT member nor a Lula follower, yet backed Lula's re-election and credited federal support for the BRT corridors, Porto Maravilha and the Galeão recovery.Source: dgabc.com.br
  • He says Rio's security problems stem from eight years of the PL running the police through the Witzel and Cláudio Castro governments.Source: dgabc.com.br
  • On 8 October 2026 he accepted the court outcome, saying the courts decided there would be no runoff against the voters' will, while adding that court decisions must be respected.Source: revistaoeste.com

Record

As mayor he ran Rio through the Olympic years and built a public profile around the BRT corridors and the Porto Maravilha waterfront, which he credits in part to federal support. His armed municipal force proposal drew legal objections: the municipal guards' association said a city can only create unarmed guards, security expert Paulo Storani said it needed new legislation, and FGV professor Thiago Bottino said public security is mainly the state's job.

After the first round he accused Ruas and Garotinho of a courtroom maneuver, then appealed to the Supreme Court, where Justice Cristiano Zanin denied his request on 8 October. Supporters credit his airport policy with Galeão's recovery, which Infraero and the airport report rose from 6.8 to 16.1 million passengers; the PSD and Paes say they will keep monitoring the incoming state government.

In their words

“Eu não sou petista, não sou lulista”
Remarks on supporting Lula's re-election, reported 19 October 2026

More from Brazil

How close are you to Eduardo Paes?

Take the 12 Axes test and see which ideologies, historical figures and current politicians sit closest to your answers.

Take the test

Eduardo Paes: questions

Is Eduardo Paes left or right?

He calls himself a centrist and neither PT nor lulista, though he backed Lula's re-election. He proposed an armed municipal force and has worked with both federal and state governments.

Did Eduardo Paes lose the 2026 election for governor?

Yes. After the electoral court annulled Anthony Garotinho's votes, Douglas Ruas of the PL was proclaimed on 15 October 2026 with 50.88 percent of valid votes, and Paes had 44.16 percent.

Is Eduardo Paes still mayor of Rio?

No. He resigned in March 2026 to run for governor, and the vice-mayor took over.

Sources

12axes-test.com is not affiliated with any politician or party. A profile summarises documented positions; it is not an endorsement.

Portrait: Foto oficial de Eduardo Paes.jpg by Unknown author, CC BY 3.0 br, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and converted to grayscale by 12axes-test.com.