
This chapter examines the consolidation of the far right in Brazilian capital cities through the 2024 municipal elections. Drawing on Cas Mudde's distinction between radical right and extreme right, and applying process-tracing methodology, the analysis traces the trajectory from the "outsider" elections of 2016, through the pandemic-era setback of 2020, to the 2022 national consolidation and the 2024 municipal cycle. Five capital cases are examined: São Paulo, where Pablo Marçal (PRTB) emerged as a competitive far-right challenger independent of Bolsonarism; Curitiba, where outsider candidate Cristina Graeml (PMB) nearly won the runoff; and Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, and Goiânia, where young Liberal Party (PL) deputies — Bruno Engler, André Fernandes, and Fred Rodrigues — reached the second round with strong first-round performances before narrow defeats. Although all five candidacies were ultimately defeated, the chapter argues that these results reveal a far right with a high electoral floor but a still-limited ceiling, no longer dependent solely on Jair Bolsonaro's personal leadership. The emergence of young, socially networked leaders — several linked to Nikolas Ferreira's digital influence — signals a durable local rooting of the far right and an ongoing generational renewal of this political camp, positioning it to remain a structuring force in Brazilian politics beyond Bolsonaro's own political trajectory. Este capítulo examina a consolidação da ultradireita nas capitais brasileiras a partir das eleições municipais de 2024. Com base na distinção de Cas Mudde entre direita radical e extrema-direita, e utilizando a metodologia de process tracing, o texto reconstrói a trajetória desde as eleições dos outsiders em 2016, passando pelo refluxo da ultradireita na pandemia de 2020, até a consolidação nacional de 2022 e o ciclo municipal de 2024. São analisados cinco casos: São Paulo, onde Pablo Marçal (PRTB) surgiu como concorrente competitivo dentro da ultradireita, rivalizando com o bolsonarismo oficial; Curitiba, onde a candidata outsider Cristina Graeml (PMB) quase venceu o segundo turno; e Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza e Goiânia, onde jovens deputados do Partido Liberal (PL) — Bruno Engler, André Fernandes e Fred Rodrigues — lideraram o primeiro turno antes de derrotas apertadas no segundo. Embora as cinco candidaturas tenham sido derrotadas, o capítulo argumenta que os resultados revelam uma ultradireita com piso eleitoral elevado, ainda que teto limitado, e cada vez menos dependente exclusivamente da liderança pessoal de Jair Bolsonaro. A emergência de lideranças jovens e fortemente presentes nas redes sociais — várias delas ligadas à influência digital de Nikolas Ferreira — indica um enraizamento local duradouro da ultradireita e um processo de renovação geracional desse campo político, capaz de mantê-lo como força estruturante da política brasileira para além da própria trajetória de Bolsonaro.
Populism, Local Government, Political Systems, Political Leadership, Elections, Brazilian Politics, Democracy, Latin American Politics, Local government, Political party, Radical Right, Party System, Voting Behaviour, Political sciences, Far right
Populism, Local Government, Political Systems, Political Leadership, Elections, Brazilian Politics, Democracy, Latin American Politics, Local government, Political party, Radical Right, Party System, Voting Behaviour, Political sciences, Far right
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
