Wanderlei Barbosa Castro (born 12 March 1964 in Porto Nacional) is a Brazilian businessman and politician who has been the governor of Tocantins since 2022, after the removal of then-governor Mauro Carlesse.[1] Prior to being governor, he was vice-governor from 2018 to 2022 under Carlesse.[2][3] He is currently a member of the Republicanos party.[4]
Personal life
Born in Porto Nacional, Barbosa is the son of rancher Fenelon Barbosa Sales, the first mayor of the state capital Palmas from the Partido da Frente Liberal,[5][6] and Maria Rosa de Castro Sales, a teacher who was the first Secretary of Education of Palmas.[7] Wanderlei is married to Blandina Vieira Leite, and his son, Léo Barbosa [pt], is currently a state deputy for Tocantins.[2][8]
Career
Barbosa was first elected as a councilman for Porto Nacional in 1989.[citation needed] In 1996, he moved to Palmas, where he was again elected as councilman from 1997 to 2011.[2] He was the president of the municipal assembly from 2003 to 2004, and again from 2009 to 2010.[3] He was first elected as a state deputy in Tocantins in 2010, then reelected in 2014.[citation needed]
In 2018, Barbosa was elected vice-governor of Tocantins, with Carlesse as governor.[2] In 2022, he was elected in his own right as governor with 481,496 votes, or 58.14% of the vote.[citation needed]
