The governor of , (Republicans), reaffirmed this Thursday (18) his support for (PL-RJ)’s candidacy for President in 2026 and said that the son of the former president (PL) is trying to appear open to dialogue with the market and indicating the promise of an economic line like that of his father’s government.
and exponents of Faria Lima, Tarcísio held an event at Palácio dos Bandeirantes to praise his government’s actions, presenting a review of 2025 and highlighting advances in security — one of the topics that should mark next year’s elections.
Asked if the initiative would be an initial milestone in the pre-campaign, Tarcísio denied. “It’s just the balance we take every year.”
Regarding Flávio’s candidacy, the governor said that he “is trying”. “If elected, he is a president who will talk to opposition governors, with Congress, with the Judiciary. He is saying that he is ready to talk to the market, that he will have a line like Paulo Guedes. Flávio is giving the guidelines to move forward.”
Tarcísio had already expressed support for the senator on December 8, after Flávio announced that he had been chosen by his father as Bolsonaro’s candidate in 2026. The nomination of the former president’s son ended up becoming a setback for the governor, whose allies had the expectation that he would be chosen by Bolsonaro as successor for next year.
The problems in the supply of electricity in the capital of São Paulo, which was the target of the government (PT), were addressed by the governor, who attacked the company’s performance and stated that the concessionaire “is not in a position” to continue providing services.
“It has completely lost its reputation. There is no longer any trust. It is a company that has not been paying its fines, that has not been carrying out its maintenance, that has not been investing in material, that has not been investing in staff and that has not been investing in automation”, he stated
Tarcísio praised São Paulo’s data on public security, focusing his speech on the advancement of technological resources and highlighting police hiring. He also celebrated São Paulo’s homicide rate, the lowest among the country’s states (6.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, against the national average of 21.2).
The state, however, records the highest number of hidden homicides, according to data from the Violence Atlas. The category counts violent deaths without a determined cause and includes possible homicides. São Paulo had 4.8 of these deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 1.7. Added together, all homicide rates leave São Paulo in second place.
According to the governor, 2,518 military police officers were incorporated and 500 civil police delegates will be sworn in this week. In total, Tarcísio stated that more than 7,500 civil police officers were hired in the last two years, which would be equivalent to 30% of the corporation.
Subsequently, the governor denied that criminal factions have control of prisons in the state of São Paulo. “There is no more. That time has passed. Today, the state controls the prisons,” he stated.
The presentation of the report was divided into themes, which included, in addition to public security, areas such as education, housing programs, combating poverty, health, violence against women, agribusiness and basic sanitation.
On this last point, Tarcísio praised the privatization of Sabesp (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo), citing an international award granted to the government in New York, without specifying which one.
As announced on Tuesday (16), Flávio could remove Tarcísio from a possible second round if both ran for President in 2026.
In the first round scenario that includes the congressman and the head of the São Paulo Executive, Flávio has 23%, and Tarcísio, 10%, while Lula has 41%.
In the second round, Lula scores a 10-point advantage over both. The PT member appears with 46% of voting intentions, while the former president’s son registers 36%. In a confrontation with the governor, Lula would win with 45% compared to Tarcísio’s 35%.
