The base of the president () has tensions with one year to start the start of party conventions that will define the candidacies for those of 2026 in the northeast states.
In most states in the region, which is the president’s electoral stronghold, his supporters have disagreements about names and strategies for state or.
In 2022, Lula’s victory over Northeast guaranteed the petista an advantage of 12.5 million votes. In percentage terms, the current president obtained 69.3% compared to 30.6% of the then candidate.
In Paraíba, the PT wants to remove the risk of the president not having a candidate for competitive governor who supports his reelection.
As Governor João Azevêdo () tends to leave office to run for Senate, Deputy Governor Lucas Ribeiro (), nephew of federal deputy Aguinaldo Ribeiro (PP) and son of senator Daniella Ribeiro (PP), should take over the government in April and tend to be a candidate for reelection.
However, at the national level, the PP must support an opposition candidacy for Lula. Interlocutors of the current deputy governor state that the Paraibano PP supported Lula in other elections and that the party would not be afraid to repeat the alliance next year. The mayor of João Pessoa, Cicero Lucena (PP), is also quoted for the dispute.
In the midst of this scenario, the president of the Paraíba Assembly, Adriano Galdino (), says he wants to be a candidate for governor supporting Lula. It does not rule out multiple candidates at the base.
“I worry because, from pre-candidates to governor, only I make a defense of Lula. The others are either scholarships or are broken and do not declare, they are on the wall,” says Galdino, who is ally of the mayor, Hugo Motta (Republicans-PB).
Petistas, however, did not like public criticism that the deputy made to, announced this month.
Another state that may have a crack is Rio Grande do Norte, where Governor Fatima Bezerra (PT) wants to be a senator again. The problem for Lula’s base is that polls of voting intention indicates Senator Captain Styvenson (PSDB) in the lead and a dispute for the second place between Fatima and Senator Zenaide Maia (), vice-leader of the Senate Lula administration.
Zenaide was elected in 2018 in the same coalition as Fatima. The two, however, have been distanced since last year, when the PT launched its own candidacy in São Gonçalo do Amarante against the senator’s husband, current mayor Jaime Calado (PSD).
Zenaide’s allies believe that the second place is in dispute between her and Fatima and that there would be no sense of an alliance. The senator is considering allying with the mayor of Mossoró, Allyson Bezerra (União Brasil), pre-candidate for governor, who should not support Lula.
In 2022, the division at the PT base in the state facilitated the victory of the Senator Bolsonarista (PL-RN), the current opposition leader.
In Maranhão, Governor Carlos Brandão (PSB) expressed allies that will be in office until the end of the term. With this, Vice Felipe Camarão (PT) cannot be a candidate for the government with the machine in hand.
By agreement made in 2022, backed by the now Minister of the Supreme Court (Supreme Court), would go out to the Senate next year and support the deputy in the government dispute. However and the current governor of Maranhão has sewn the name of his nephew and state secretary Orleans Brandão (MDB) to replace him in office.
“Do you know who is the biggest harmed by this? It’s Lula. Because if our team divides here, how the Brandão is cracking our team here, the biggest harmed will be Lula, because the tendency is his vote to fall here in Maranhão if we go out separately,”.
In Pernambuco, the PT must support the candidacy of the mayor of Recife, (PSB). As the mayor presides over the national PSB, he will put Pernambuco as a party priority in contrast to the support of the subtitle to Lula’s reelection.
Even so, there are wings of the party that support two stands for Lula, if the governor (PSD) is available to support the president. The party’s priority in Pernambuco is to reelect Senator Humberto Costa (PT), according to the president -elect of the PT of Pernambuco, federal deputy Carlos Veras, regardless of the position in relation to the dispute for the government.
“We reaffirm Humberto as the only name of the Pernambuco PT candidate for the Senate,” says Veras.
In Bahia, there is a possibility that the PT sneak Senator Ângelo Colonel (PSD) and launch a pure-swan plate with former petist governors and-current senator-as senate candidates in the coalition headed by Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues, candidate for reelection. The PT evaluates to contemplate the PSD with the vice vacancy as compensation. Officially, the PSD resists and maintains Colonel’s pre-candidacy for reelection.
In Ceará, the Minister’s surroundings (PT) works to maintain the unity of the political group. This is because, with five Senate pre-candidates, at least three will be discarded. The fear is that eventual cisions harm the campaigns to the reelection of Lula and Governor Elmano de Freitas.
They want to compete in the Senate the federal deputies José Guimarães (PT), Eunício Oliveira () and Junior Mano (PSB), the businessman Chiquinho Feitosa (Republicans) and former Governor Domingos Filho (PSD).
In Sergipe, the Lula government wants to attract the support of Governor Fábio Mitidieri (PSD), but the manager has vetoed a possible presence by Senator Rogério Carvalho (PT) on his plate. The fierce dispute by the Sergipano government in 2022, starring the two, left sequels. Sergipe executive head is close to the minister of the general secretary, Márcio Macedo (PT).
In two states, tensions are practically placated. In Piauí, the PT reported to the MDB that the party will not have the deputy place on the plate of Governor Rafael Fonteles in 2026, but the emedebists will be contemplated in the plate with the candidate for reelection in Senate Marcelo Castro (MDB). The other candidate for senator will be the federal deputy Júlio César (PSD).
In Alagoas, Lula pleased the former mayor (PP-AL) by closing an agreement with the mayor of Maceió, JHC (PL), so that he leaves Bolsonaro’s party and is not a candidate for senator, without disturbing the deputy’s plans. Even so, the tendency is that Lira does not campaign for the president, but contribute to Lula’s governability in Congress.
JHC should join the PSB with the approval of the mayor of Recife, João Campos. For the other Senate vacancy, the favorite is the Senator (MDB), who will be on a different stage from Lira and support Lula, with Transport Minister Renan Filho (MDB), as a candidate for governor.
Impasses to Lula in the Northeast
Maranhão
Governor Carlos Brandão (PSB) wants to support his nephew Orleans for the succession, raising Vice Felipe Camarão (PT).
Ceará
Five names are listed to compete in the Senate and there is fear that dissatisfaction of those who are deprived contaminate Lula’s campaign in the state.
Rio Grande do Norte
Allied in 2018, Governor Fatima Bezerra (PT) and Senator Zenaide Maia (PSD-RN) can break and dispute Senate vacancies.
Paraíba
President of the Assembly, Adriano Galdino (Republicans) wants to run for government supporting Lula, but the PP must have its own candidacy.
PERNAMBUCO
PT works that any support from Raquel Lyra and João Campos Lula do not disturb Senator Humberto Costa.
Sergipe
Governor Fábio Mitidieri (PSD) may support Lula’s reelection, but he has veto to Senator Rogério Carvalho (PT) on his plate.
BAHIA
There is a possibility of PT’s pure swim plate with Rui Costa and Jaques Wagner as candidates for the Senate, but PSD resists.
