Brazil congress composition 2002 to 2022 with updated colors: PT pink, PSDB light green, MDB/PMDB light blue, Bolsonaro vehicle dark green. Percentage labels shown inside each bar segment.

States > Cities. Governors command the state police, control the ICMS tax base, and run patronage networks that shape congressional voting. Top 5 states shown represent ~60% of GDP and ~55% of the national electorate.
Chamber of Deputies — 513 seats · percentages shown per segment
PT — Workers' Party PSDB — Social Democracy MDB/PMDB — Democratic Movement Bolsonaro vehicle (PSL 2018 / PL 2022) Pure Centrão (PP, PSD, PTB, Republicanos, DEM/União…) Small ideological parties (PDT, PSB, PSol, PCdoB, PV…)
Presidency + top 5 state governors (party at election)
Power seat 200220062010201420182022
Federal Senate — 81 seats (full composition)

Staggered renewal — Senate shifts lag 4–8 years behind the Chamber.

Parties winning seats in Chamber

2022 drop: new 1.5% threshold forced mergers — PSL+DEM → União Brasil.

The structural constant: Centrão + small parties have held 57–68% of Chamber seats in every election since 2002 regardless of presidential result. No majority government is arithmetically possible without them.