Who Is Duda Salabert? Minas Gerais Federal Deputy
Updated 2 times · Latest: 16 October 2026
Key Facts · In short · 16 October 2026
- —Who she is Duda Salabert is a federal deputy for Minas Gerais and a former literature teacher who became the first trans woman elected to the Belo Horizonte City Council, in 2020.
- —Latest result She was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies on 4 October 2026 with about 229,500 votes, one of the three highest tallies in Minas Gerais.
- —Party She returned to the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) in March 2026 after six years in the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) and ran on the PSOL-Rede federation ticket.
- —Known for She is known for defending LGBTQ+ rights, education and the environment, and she was one of Brazil’s first two openly trans federal deputies, elected in 2022.
- —Latest On 4 September 2026 she reported an attempted homicide while inspecting suspected illegal mining on the MG-356 road near Belo Horizonte; police opened an investigation.
Duda Salabert is a left-wing federal deputy for Minas Gerais and one of the first two openly transgender members of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies. She won a second term on 4 October 2026 with about 229,500 votes and first won office on the Belo Horizonte City Council in 2020.
This profile covers who she is, her career and the recent events around her, each tied to a named source. It is updated as news develops, and our Brazil runoff guide covers the national race.
Who Is Duda Salabert?
Duda Salabert is a Brazilian politician, a literature teacher by training and a trans woman. Before entering politics she taught literature in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais.
In 2016 she founded Transvest, a non-profit that gives volunteer-taught preparation lessons for university entrance exams to transgender people in Belo Horizonte. She also helped found the city’s first shelter for trans people living on the street, according to Brazilian media.
Career and Positions
City Council, 2020
In November 2020 she was elected to the Belo Horizonte City Council for the PDT with more than 37,000 votes, the most of any candidate for the 41 seats, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). She became the first openly trans woman on the council, in the sixth-largest city in Brazil.
In 2018 she had run for the Senate for Minas Gerais for the PSOL and collected more than 350,000 votes. She left the PSOL in 2019 and joined the PDT.
Federal Deputy, 2022 to Now
In October 2022 she was elected federal deputy with 208,332 votes, the third most in Minas Gerais, and took office in 2023. She and Erika Hilton of São Paulo became the first two transgender members of the Chamber.
In 2024 she ran for mayor of Belo Horizonte for the PDT and finished fifth with 97,315 votes, or 7.68%, so she did not reach the runoff. She returned to the PSOL on 31 March 2026, calling it a “return to origins”, after six years in the PDT.
Key Controversies and Rulings
In March 2023 Salabert and Erika Hilton were among those who filed requests to the Chamber’s Ethics Council against the deputy Nikolas Ferreira, who wore a wig in a speech on International Women’s Day and was accused of transphobia. The council archived the case by 12 votes to 5 on 9 August 2023, and its rapporteur recommended only a written reprimand.
The Ministry of Human Rights had asked on 15 April 2023 for him to be handled by the Ethics Council and the Supreme Court. Ferreira had made the speech on 8 March 2023.
What Duda Salabert Said and Did Recently
On 4 October 2026 she won re-election with about 229,500 votes on the PSOL-Rede ticket, one of the three highest totals in Minas Gerais, according to Congresso em Foco. In the small town of Pintópolis she again received exactly one vote, as in 2022, a result she had publicly asked about in July.
In the early hours of 4 September 2026, she reported an attempted homicide while inspecting suspected illegal mineral extraction on the MG-356 road, on the border between Belo Horizonte and Nova Lima. She said unknown men punched and kicked her and her adviser, Felipe Gomes, and she said she fell down a slope.
She had scrapes and a dislocated shoulder and received hospital treatment, according to Diario de Pernambuco. The Minas Gerais Civil Police opened an investigation, the Federal Police also became involved, and no suspects had been identified.
Why Duda Salabert Matters for Brazil
She is one of the few openly trans legislators in Latin America’s largest country, and she polled among the top three deputies in Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais is Brazil’s second most populous state, so its results carry weight nationally.
Her inspections of illegal mining and her defence of the Serra do Curral, a mountain range near Belo Horizonte, put her in the debate over mining in Minas Gerais, a major iron-ore state. She has also backed laws protecting women and trans people in Belo Horizonte.
What to Watch
Watch the investigation into the 4 September attack and whether police identify suspects. Watch also how she votes on environmental and mining bills when the new legislature opens in February 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Duda Salabert?
Duda Salabert is a federal deputy for Minas Gerais, a former literature teacher and a trans woman. She was elected to the Belo Horizonte City Council in 2020 and to the Chamber of Deputies in 2022.
Was Duda Salabert re-elected in 2026?
Yes, she won a second term on 4 October 2026 with about 229,500 votes on the PSOL-Rede federation ticket. That was one of the three highest totals in Minas Gerais.
Which party is Duda Salabert in?
She is in the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), which she rejoined on 31 March 2026 after six years in the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). She first left the PSOL in 2019.
Is Duda Salabert the first trans member of Congress?
She and Erika Hilton of São Paulo became the first two openly transgender members of the Chamber of Deputies after the 2022 election. Salabert was the first trans person elected to the Chamber from Minas Gerais.
What happened to Duda Salabert on 4 September 2026?
She reported an attempted homicide while inspecting suspected illegal mining on the MG-356 road near Belo Horizonte. She was injured, police opened an investigation, and no suspects had been identified.
Did Duda Salabert run for mayor of Belo Horizonte?
Yes, in 2024 she ran for the PDT and finished fifth with 97,315 votes, or 7.68%, so she did not reach the runoff.
Sources: Superior Electoral Court (TSE) results; Congresso em Foco (5 October 2026); Diario de Pernambuco (4 September 2026); Brasil de Fato and Itatiaia on the party switch (March 2026); A Pública and Correio Braziliense on the 2022 election; Itatiaia on the 2024 mayoral race; Chamber of Deputies (9 August 2023), O Povo and Congresso em Foco on the 2023 complaint.
For the wider picture, read our Brazil election results hub and our Julia Zanatta profile.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief