The governor of Ceará, Elmano de Freitas (PT), who is seeking reelection, transformed a stuffed raccoon into a campaign symbol after a provocation from his rival Ciro Gomes (PDT). During a public event on Monday, supporters cheered when the PT candidate raised the animal to the sound of one of his campaign songs.
The confrontation began last week during a debate hosted by the newspaper "O Povo." On that occasion, Ciro Gomes provoked Senator Camilo Santana (PT), Elmano's political patron, while touching his own bald head. The PDT candidate stated that the "only envy" he had of Camilo was "the raccoon tail he put on his head," in reference to his opponent's baldness.
The provocation about Camilo's hair generated what the report called a kind of "hair war" in the Ceará electoral discussion. Ciro Gomes is running for governor of the state for PDT, while Camilo Santana, who is currently the minister of Education, supports Elmano de Freitas's candidacy.
In line with the comment, Ciro's allies defend the so-called "married vote" with the president in the state. The dispute for the government of Ceará takes place in a broader context of the 2026 elections, with Quaest and Datafolha polls awaited after a Globo interview.
