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Plínio Trump, Mick Jagger and Samurai Taxi Driver Keep Brazil's Tradition of Joke Candidates Alive
Brazil’s novelty candidates draw protest votes that can win seats and boost party totals under proportional representation, political scientists say.
- Candidate Plínio Trump campaigned in Juiz de Fora on Monday, channeling U.S. President Donald Trump with his hairstyle, orange tie, and stride to appeal to right-wing voters among hundreds of novelty candidates in this year's Brazilian congressional elections.
- In 1959, rhinoceros Cacareco received roughly 100,000 votes in São Paulo, beginning Brazil's tradition of novelty candidates; later, circus clown Tiririca won a congressional seat with more than 1.3 million votes in 2010, turning protest votes into political gains.
- Political scientist Carlos Melo notes Brazil's proportional representation system allows novelty candidates to boost parties' congressional seat counts and public funding, even when candidates accumulate only 1,000 or 2,000 additional votes without winning seats themselves.
- Diverse figures seeking office include 'Henrique Barack Obama,' who pursues a Senate seat in the Federal District, and 'Tsunami Grandmother,' a Minas Gerais state legislature candidate, both utilizing eccentric personas to attract disillusioned voters.
- Analysts suggest the rise of these protest candidates reflects decomposing traditional political leadership, as voters turn to unconventional figures, bringing a surreal element to elections that continue a nearly eight-decade Brazilian tradition.
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The Seattle Times
The Seattle TimesPlínio Trump, Mick Jagger and Samurai Taxi Driver keep Brazil’s tradition of joke candidates alive
JUIZ DE FORA, Brazil (AP) — When helicopter pilot Plínio Vicentin Júnior drives his vintage Pontiac Grand Ville through the streets of Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais, an American flag fluttering near his windshield like a presidential motorcade, onlookers stop and stare. Júnior, 59, is running for Congress for the first time. But until...
Plínio Trump, Mick Jagger and Samurai Taxi Driver keep Brazil's t
Plinio Vicentin Jr., who is running for federal lawmaker as "Plinio Trump," with the Novo Party representing Minas Gerais state, campaigns from his car ahead of the general election in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
·Baltimore, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 36%
C 57%
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