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Current politicianBrazil

Renan Calheiros

Senator for Alagoas (since February 1995); lost re-election in October 2026, so his term ends in January 2027 · Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB)

José Renan Vasconcelos Calheiros

Renan Calheiros is a four-time Senate president from Alagoas who rapporteured the 2021 Covid inquiry. He came third in the October 2026 Senate race and leaves in January 2027 after 32 years.

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-30
    PublicPrivate

    He voted against the 2021 measure enabling the privatisation of Eletrobras, one recorded vote.

  2. 02Markets-20
    PlannedFree

    He voted against the 2017 labour reform, which his party leadership at the time backed.

  3. 03Welfare-25
    SharedSelf-reliant

    Reflects his labour reform vote.

  4. 04Authority-40
    DemocraticStrong leader

    He led the inquiry that asked for President Bolsonaro's indictment, spoke against the 2025 immunity amendment for legislators and voted against the sentencing-reduction bill for 8 January convicts.

  5. 05Security-10
    LibertyOrder

    He voted against the 2024 amendment criminalising drug possession, but the record on policing and sentencing is otherwise thin.

  6. 06StructureNo clear record
    LocalCentral
  7. 07Morality-20
    ProgressiveTraditional

    His only recorded vote here is against criminalising drug possession in any quantity; the MDB left its senators free on that vote.

  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 Renan Calheiros there, so matching leaves them out.

Who is Renan Calheiros?

Renan Calheiros, born in 1955, took his Senate seat for Alagoas in February 1995 and was re-elected in 2002, 2010 and 2018. He presided over the chamber four times, in 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2015. In 2021 he was rapporteur of the Senate's inquiry into the government's handling of Covid-19. He sought a fifth consecutive term in October 2026 but finished third in the two-seat race with about 22 percent of valid votes, behind Arthur Lira (PP) and Marina JHC (PSDB). His term ends in January 2027, after 32 consecutive years.

Previously: Rapporteur of the Senate's Covid-19 inquiry (2021) · President of the Senate (2005, 2007, 2013 and 2015 terms)

Documented positions

  • He voted against the June 2021 measure enabling the privatisation of Eletrobras, which passed 42 to 37.Source: cut.org.br
  • He voted against the 2017 labour reform, which passed the Senate 50 to 26.Source: congressoemfoco.com.br
  • He voted against the April 2024 constitutional amendment criminalising possession of any quantity of drugs.Source: cnnbrasil.com.br
  • He voted against the December 2025 sentencing bill benefiting those convicted over the 8 January 2023 attacks, which passed 48 to 25.Source: cartacapital.com.br
  • In September 2025 he told the Senate justice committee that the legislative-immunity amendment known as the Blindagem could let criminals contest elections, asking whether it was a proposal of the PCC gang.Source: cnnbrasil.com.br
  • As rapporteur he wrote the final report of the Covid inquiry, approved 7 to 4 on 26 October 2021, which recommended President Bolsonaro's indictment.Source: www12.senado.leg.br

Record

Calheiros is one of the longest-serving members of the Senate since the return to democracy. In 2007 he resigned the Senate presidency during a proceeding that could have cost him his seat; the full Senate later acquitted him. The Covid inquiry report that he wrote requested around 80 indictments, with the exact count varying between 78 and 81 depending on the tally, and was sent to prosecutors.

Supporters credit him with holding the Bolsonaro government to account through the inquiry and with resisting measures that would shield legislators. Critics, among them the government leader in the Senate at the time, argued there was no legal basis to criminalise the president and that many allegations rested on news reports.

In their words

“Será essa uma PEC do PCC?”
Remarks at the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee, 17 September 2025

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Renan Calheiros: questions

Is Renan Calheiros left or right?

He is an MDB centrist who voted against the labour reform, the Eletrobras privatisation and the sentencing bill for 8 January convicts, and who opposed Bolsonaro in the Senate.

Was Renan Calheiros re-elected in 2026?

No. He came third in the Alagoas Senate race on 4 October 2026, behind Arthur Lira and Marina JHC, and leaves the Senate in January 2027.

What was Renan Calheiros's role in the Covid inquiry?

He was rapporteur. The final report, approved 7 to 4 in October 2021, asked for the indictment of Jair Bolsonaro and dozens of others.

Sources

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