TSE Votes to Void Roraima Governor’s Mandate, Bans Denarium From Running

Overview

• Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, which reached a 6–1 majority Tuesday to annul the 2022-winning ticket, paused the session until Thursday to formally proclaim the result.
• The court also voted 7–0 to declare ex-governor Antonio Denarium ineligible for eight years, with Minister André Mendonça set to only complement his opinion.
• Until the proclamation, Edilson Damião remains in office, and if the ruling stands, Brazilian electoral rules call for a special vote with Assembly President Soldado Sampaio serving as interim governor.
• Judges upheld findings of abuse of political and economic power tied to state programs, citing R$70 million in municipal transfers linked to Morar Melhor and R$11 million for Cesta da Família in the 2022 race.
• The case came to the national court after Roraima’s regional tribunal annulled the ticket, and the TSE trial stretched since August 2024 with repeated pauses before Tuesday’s near-unanimous outcome.