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Tarcísio de Freitas
Current politicianBrazil

Tarcísio de Freitas

Governor of São Paulo (since January 2023), re-elected in October 2026 for a term beginning 6 January 2027 · Republicanos

Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas

Tarcísio de Freitas is the Governor of São Paulo, in office since January 2023, and was re-elected in the first round in October 2026. He backed Flávio Bolsonaro for president.

Positions as of 28 October 2026
Profile on 12 axes6 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign

Positions are taken from public statements, voting records and platforms as of 28 October 2026, and may have changed since. Report an inaccuracy.

Where they stand

The 12 axes, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership+60
    PublicPrivate

    Oversaw 83 concession auctions as infrastructure minister and privatised the São Paulo water company Sabesp in 2024; scored toward private ownership.

  2. 02Markets+50
    PlannedFree
  3. 03WelfareNo clear record
    SharedSelf-reliant
  4. 04Authority+15
    DemocraticStrong leader

    Won two elections and complied with a 2024 Supreme Court order on police body cameras, while proposing to cancel pandemic-era sanitary fines; scored slightly toward strong leadership.

  5. 05Security+60
    LibertyOrder

    His government implemented civic-military schools and faced criticism over police lethality; he initially criticised then backed police body cameras after a Supreme Court order. Scored toward order.

  6. 06StructureNo clear record
    LocalCentral
  7. 07Morality+45
    ProgressiveTraditional

    Stated opposition to abortion and drug legalisation in 2022, while saying he would not join an ideological or cultural war; his government regulated free medical cannabis for some conditions. Scored moderately traditional.

  8. 08Religion+25
    SecularReligious

    Has described his alignment with Jair Bolsonaro as based on economic and Christian agendas; scored slightly toward religious.

  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 Tarcísio de Freitas there, so matching leaves them out.

Who is Tarcísio de Freitas?

Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1975 and trained as an army engineering officer, serving in the UN stabilisation mission in Haiti. He later worked at the federal comptroller's office, led the National Department of Transport Infrastructure and served as secretary of the federal investment partnership programme. He was Minister of Infrastructure under Jair Bolsonaro from 2019 to 2022. He joined Republicanos, defeated Fernando Haddad in the 2022 runoff for governor of São Paulo and took office in January 2023. On 4 October 2026 he was re-elected in the first round with 62.65 percent of valid votes to Haddad's 36.42 percent; his second term begins on 6 January 2027. He campaigned for Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the presidential runoff to Lula on 25 October.

Previously: Minister of Infrastructure (2019-2022) · Director-general of the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) · Army engineering officer, including service in the UN mission in Haiti (2005-2006)

Documented positions

  • As infrastructure minister he oversaw 83 concession auctions of airports, roads, ports and railways to private operators.Source: cnnbrasil.com.br
  • His government privatised Sabesp in 2024 through a share offering, with the state keeping an 18 percent stake.Source: ppi.sp.gov.br
  • Stated opposition to abortion and drug legalisation and support for free enterprise.Source: poder360.com.br
  • His government implemented a state law on civic-military schools, which the Supreme Court allowed to proceed in 2024.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • Said in December 2024 that he had been wrong to criticise police body cameras.Source: infomoney.com.br
  • Proposed a bill in 2023 to cancel fines for breaking state Covid-19 health rules.Source: agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
  • Regulated a state law in 2023 providing free cannabis-based medicines through the public health system for some conditions.Source: gazetadopovo.com.br
  • Lists the São Paulo-Campinas intercity train, metro expansion and the Santos-Guarujá tunnel as second-term priorities.Source: correiodamanha.com.br
  • Backed Flávio Bolsonaro for president and said before the first round that he would help him in a runoff in São Paulo and other states.Source: bpmoney.com.br

Record

As governor he has pursued concessions and public-private partnerships in transport and sanitation, including the Sabesp sale and a rail programme. Supporters cite infrastructure investment, the sanitation expansion targets and his wide first-round re-election in 2026 with a coalition that included Republicanos, PL, MDB and PSD, the first São Paulo governor's race decided in the first round since 2014.

Critics, including unions, opposed the Sabesp privatisation, and police lethality became a point of dispute. In December 2024, acting on a request from the São Paulo public defender's office, the president of the Supreme Federal Court ordered mandatory body camera use by São Paulo military police, citing a risk to fundamental rights; the governor later said he had been mistaken about the cameras.

In their words

“Eu admito, estava errado. Eu me enganei”
Remarks to reporters on police body cameras, 5 December 2024

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Tarcísio de Freitas: questions

What party is Tarcísio de Freitas in?

He is a member of Republicanos. His 2026 re-election coalition also included PL, MDB and PSD.

Was Tarcísio de Freitas re-elected in 2026?

Yes. He was re-elected Governor of São Paulo in the first round on 4 October 2026 with 62.65 percent of valid votes, defeating Fernando Haddad of the PT. His second term begins on 6 January 2027.

What are Tarcísio de Freitas's main policy positions?

He favours concessions and privatisation of infrastructure and utilities, a tough public security policy and civic-military schools, and has stated opposition to abortion and drug legalisation.

Sources

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

Portrait: Governador do Estado de São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas - Foto Oficial.jpg by Ciete Silvério/Governo do Estado de SP, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and converted to grayscale by 12axes-test.com.