The main target of dispute among right-wing candidates for the Government of Minas Gerais in 2026, in recent weeks the deputy governor of Minas Gerais, .
The signaling takes place through the main party leaders in the state, who were once closer to the senator, but today are present in videos and ceremonies with Romeu Zema’s vice president (Novo).
Counting in favor of the PL in the negotiations is its bench of 87 federal deputies, which guarantees one of the longest television times next year, and the federal deputy, who received the most votes in the country in 2022 and should run for re-election.
The party, however, seeks to guarantee its presence on a competitive ticket to elect at least one name to the Senate, in addition to expanding its presence in the Chamber.
Amid uncertainty on the left surrounding a candidacy for the Minas Gerais government, Simões and Cleitinho have emerged as possible candidates in 2026.
The first is expected to take over state management in April, when Zema intends to leave office for the presidential race.
Cleitinho, who is currently leading polls of voting intentions for governor, states that he will decide on a candidacy next year.
At this juncture, the PL was already more linked to the Republican ticket, such as , but recent movements by party leaders indicate a rapprochement with Simões’ candidacy.
The deputy governor has been publishing videos on his social media alongside Nikolas.
In one of them, Simões cites requests sent by the parliamentarian for works in interior cities and says that the government will meet them. In another, they appear side by side to announce the allocation of an amendment of R$1 million from the deputy for a shooting range in a unit of the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE).
Nikolas, who is often cited as a possible candidate for the Government of Minas, has indicated that he will not run for the position. In an agenda in the state last Friday (28), he stated that his eventual management would be jeopardized in the event of President Lula’s (PT) re-election.
“I have to think like my enemy. What would I most like Nikolas to be? Maybe it would be as governor, right? I lose my jurisdiction, I could have the Public Ministry behind my back, unfairly. And if it’s Lula [presidente]? Do you think the Presidency will let me run the state the way it needs?”, said the deputy.
In the Minas Gerais PL, the intention is for Nikolas, considered a voting phenomenon, to run again for the Chamber to help elect a larger party bench in the state.
The party also seeks to guarantee a composition to launch at least one candidacy for the Senate.
Today, the main names for this vacancy are state deputy Cristiano Caporezzo, the councilor of Vile Santos and federal deputies Eros Biondini and Domingos Sávio, who is state president of the party.
Sávio stated that these articulations are in the background, and that the party’s priority is to approve the amnesty project for those convicted of those involved in the 8th of January, which is being processed in the Chamber of Deputies.
He said, however, that he has been in dialogue with possible candidates and considers an alliance with other parties to be fundamental for the right to win the election in the state next year.
“The PL has a party structure, militancy, benches of deputies, mayors, which provide the conditions to launch a candidate for governor and two for the Senate, it is different from a party that has no alternative. But we want to win the election, and an alliance is essential [para isso]”, said Savio.
The state leader has his electoral base in Divinópolis, in the center-west of Minas Gerais, the same city as Cleitinho.
At a recent Zema government event in the municipality to inaugurate a gas pipeline, Sávio was present, but the absence of mayor Gleidson Azevedo (Novo), and mayor of Divinópolis, drew attention.
Gleidson is treated as Novo’s main bet to win a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, but the dispute between his brother and Simões could make his candidacy unfeasible. State deputy Eduardo Azevedo (PL), the family’s firstborn, participated in the ceremony.
Cleitinho’s candidacy, previously assessed as more likely by actors in Minas Gerais politics, is now treated as more distant.
Factors for this change of atmosphere include the senator’s lack of decision to run for an Executive position and the state president of the Republicans, Euclydes Pettersen, regarding unauthorized discounts on pensions from the National Social Security Institute. He denies wrongdoing and says he is available to the authorities.
