The first change to the Senate Model has an odd name: even though this is a chamber decided by plurality vote, we need to introduce a threshold clause into our model. We noticed a side effect of counting the probability of every candidacy: a party with no genuinely competitive candidate anywhere could accumulate probability simply by running candidates in more states, and qualify for a seat according to the model.
To avoid this defect in the forecast, as of today the model adopts two thresholds:
A party can only receive the point estimate of at least one Senate seat if it has at least one candidate with a 20% or higher chance of winning in their state.
A party can only receive the "leftover" seat in the point estimate if it has a remaining candidate with at least a 20% chance of winning a seat.
The logic behind this procedure is to bring the point estimate closer to the mode of the simulations and reduce noise in how the model's results are communicated. The confidence intervals are calculated from the joint simulations and are therefore unaffected by this rule, which is being adopted more as a display rule than as a change to the model's underlying logic. Either way, the model is now considered a new version (1.01).
31 Aug 2026 · projected seats: DC 0 → 1, NOVO 2 → 1 · 202 polls (+6: AP, DF, MS, PA, RN)
SE: Delegado André David (REPUBLICANOS) 17% → 18%, Rodrigo Valadares (PL) 13% → 12%
TO: Paulo Mourão (PT) 14% → 15%
Welcome to Plano Político's 2026 Senate Model. This model is a probabilistic projection of the contest for the 54 Senate seats up in this year's elections, built from public data on election results and opinion polls. To read more about the model, see the methodology. This page will publish every change to the model as it is updated with new polls, as well as any corrections that prove necessary over the course of the campaign.
As of 29 August, the most likely composition of the Senate according to the model is as follows. The first number is how many of the 54 contested seats the party is expected to win; the second is the size of its bench in 2027, adding the seats that are not in play. In brackets, the 80% interval.
PL — 11 seats (8 to 14), 21 in 2027 (18 to 24)
PT — 7 seats (4 to 9), 11 in 2027 (8 to 13)
MDB — 7 seats (4 to 9), 8 in 2027 (5 to 10)
PSD — 5 seats (2 to 6), 7 in 2027 (4 to 8)
PP — 4 seats (2 to 6), 7 in 2027 (5 to 9)
PSB — 4 seats (2 to 5), 5 in 2027 (3 to 6)
UNIÃO — 4 seats (1 to 6), 6 in 2027 (3 to 8)
REPUBLICANOS — 3 seats (1 to 6), 7 in 2027 (5 to 10)
PDT — 2 seats (0 to 4), 2 in 2027 (0 to 4)
PODEMOS — 2 seats (0 to 3), 2 in 2027 (0 to 3)
NOVO — 2 seats (0 to 3), 2 in 2027 (0 to 3)
PSOL — 1 seat (0 to 3), 1 in 2027 (0 to 3)
REDE — 1 seat (0 to 2), 1 in 2027 (0 to 2)
PSDB — 1 seat (0 to 3), 1 in 2027 (0 to 3)
AVANTE — no seats (0 to 2), losing the one it holds today
The intervals are per party and do not add up to 54 or 81: each describes the uncertainty about that one bench, not a complete scenario.