Re-elected in 2022 to the Government of the first round, (PSD) has gradually been articulating one in 2026, even though his party, that of , continues to give dubious signals about which direction it intends to follow in the future election.
Son of the famous television presenter and businessman Carlos Roberto Massa, Ratinho has been publicly promoted as presidential candidate by local allies, who since last year have openly placed him as a pre-candidate for Planalto.
Among the assets that would qualify him in the dispute, according to allies, are government approval, in the wake of infrastructure works taken off the ground, and good results in the economy, which is the fourth in the country. With an eye on right-wing voters, they also cite the governor’s relationship with business as an asset.
Ratinho follows a privatization agenda – in 2023, the Government of Paraná ceased to be the controlling shareholder of , Companhia Paranaense de Energia, and is now preparing to launch Celepar in the B3 auction. His management has also deepened partnerships in areas such as and .
The municipal election also gave Ratinho muscle, as , with 164 of 399 municipalities, including important cities such as , Londrina, Cascavel and Foz do Iguaçu. Nationally, the PSD was also at the top, heading 887 city halls across the country.
Despite the enthusiasm of local allies, he himself remains discreet about the upcoming events. When questioned by the press, he usually defends his own PSDB candidacy first, and only then places himself as the party’s option.
“Of course, due to this growth, the PSDB is a national protagonist and has the obligation to present options for the country. It cannot be anyone’s sublegend. […] The party has good names, I hope mine can be evaluated too”, he said, in .
Ratinho’s eventual presidential candidacy depends on Gilberto Kassab, national president of the party. Questioned by Sheet Regarding the 2026 election, Kassab stated that the PSD will only start this discussion in the second half of next year and that, therefore, it is premature to talk about candidacies.
In 2022, Kassab made an effort to make a presidential candidacy viable, first launching the senator (MG), who withdrew from running, and then trying to attract the governor, from Rio Grande do Sul, who ended up remaining in .
For 2026, the choice for one’s own candidacy in the PSD gains strength if the governor (Republicans) is not a candidate for the Presidency and runs for re-election, as argued by Kassab, who is the Government Secretary in São Paulo.
Without Tarcísio, seen as a name that would unify several acronyms, parties on the right and center-right can launch and, in this scenario, Ratinho, (), (Novo) and () are remembered.
Furthermore, the PSD should not join the national coalition in 2026, despite being part of the government. Support for the left comes up against the opposition stance of important names in the party, such as Ratinho himself.
Members of the national PSD interviewed by the report state that Ratinho is available to the party to be a candidate for president and that he has adopted a correct stance, that is, he understands that this is a collective decision and does not make demands.
In addition to Kassab, the decision must go through the main names of the PSD, such as the president of , Rodrigo Pacheco, senator Otto Alencar (BA) and federal deputy Antonio Brito (BA).
In the scenario of uncertainty, Ratinho continues, at the same time as he tries to balance his relationship with Bolsonarism.
In Paraná, the former president’s campaign remains widespread: the party held 52 town halls in October, behind only the PSD and the PP. The PT elected only 3 mayors in the state.
Ratinho got closer to Bolsonaro in the 2018 dispute and became a faithful ally of his throughout the former president’s tenure in the federal government. He avoided clashing even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Bolsonaro discouraged vaccination and promoted ineffective medicine against the disease.
The governor also did not repudiate acts and speeches considered threatening to democracy, such as Bolsonaro’s meeting with ambassadors to spread lies about electronic voting machines, in an episode that led to the condemnation of voting until 2030.
Recently, although he is gradually expanding the content of his posts on social networks beyond the Paraná agenda, Ratinho has not made any comments about the attempted coup d’état or about the plan to assassinate Lula, Geraldo Alckmin and Alexandre de Moraes.
Provoked to speak out, he sent a note to the Sheet in which he says that it is necessary to wait for the investigations to end and that “indictment is not synonymous with conviction”.
At the same time, Ratinho maintains one and has repeatedly declared that “the country can no longer take” what he calls an “ideological brigade”.
In October, upon seeing a threat to his ally at the polls, Ratinho declared that “discussing left and right theses and the impeachment of Alexandre de Moraes on the internet” does not change “Ms. Maria’s life” and the resident’s daily life. Curitiba.
“The national discussion is 2026. We now have to look at the problems in the city of Curitiba. What are its challenges for the future and propose solutions,” said the governor.
Eduardo Pimentel (PSD), Ratinho’s candidate, against Cristina Graeml (PMB), with 57.6% of the valid votes, including a relevant share of , which in the second round had to choose between the traditional right (Pimentel) and the radical right ( Cristina).
Pimentel’s deputy is from PL, former federal deputy Paulo Martins, already chosen to head the capital’s Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development. A former tucano, Paulo Martins believed in Bolsonarism and is also a friend of Ratinho.
