How does holding democratic political power affect political participation in non-democratic regimes? Analyzing a regression discontinuity design using the last democratic elections before Brazil's coup, we show that those holding office during the transition are more likely to continue their political participation in authoritarian elections even if that entails joining the regime. Furthermore, this effect is driven by left-wing politicians. The findings highlight the role of elections in the co-optation of the opposition in authoritarian regimes and have important implications for debates about democratic backsliding and electoral representation in autocracies.