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There are still a few months to go until the 2026 elections, but the political game has already begun to be set up. As often happens, the dispute for Planalto is directly connected to elections for state governments, even in states with little weight in the national electorate, such as Acre. Here, the presidency does not decide the election, but helps to give identity, speech and alignment to the candidates for Palácio Rio Branco.
Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro and Tarcísio de Freitas are among the most cited in Acre in the latest poll for president in the state/Photo: Reproduction
Today, at least four names are circulating as possible candidates for government. Each of them, with a greater or lesser degree of definition, is already beginning to design the presidential platform they intend to defend.
In the Bolsonarist right-wing camp, the scenario is the most predictable. With Flávio Bolsonaro announced as a presidential candidate in place of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, declared ineligible, Acre’s PL moved quickly. The state leadership has already declared full support for the senator. In this context, the mayor of Rio Branco, Tião Bocalom, a possible candidate for government through the acronym, tends to carry the name of Flávio Bolsonaro in his speech and on the platform as a presidential bet.
In the Republicans, the strategy goes through São Paulo. Senator Alan Rick has a clear name for president, São Paulo governor Tarcísio de Freitas. Tarcísio was one of the main supporters of Alan’s move to the Republicans and symbolizes the party’s national project. The unknown, for now, is whether the governor of São Paulo will actually enter the presidential race or whether he will continue to be treated as plan A only behind the scenes by national parties.
Vice-governor Mailza Assis, from Progressistas, also looks at Tarcísio as a preferred name. The PP, together with other center-right acronyms, articulates the construction of its own candidacy for the Presidency after Flávio Bolsonaro’s announcement. In addition to Tarcísio, names such as Romeu Zema, Eduardo Leite, Ronaldo Caiado and Ratinho Júnior are circulating. The final choice must come from this group. Behind the scenes locally, governor Gladson Cameli, Mailza’s main ally, has already made it clear that his favorite is Tarcísio.
In the left field, the design is more direct. Doctor Thor Dantas should be the candidate for government supported by President Lula in Acre. The signaling came publicly, with the presence of the national president of PCdoB in the state to announce the project. The party is part of the federation with the PT and other allies, which guarantees automatic alignment with the Planalto.
In the end, Acre voters must watch a state election strongly marked by national symbols. Even without deciding the outcome of the presidential contest, Acre enters the political map as a showcase for alliances, speeches and bets for 2026. The platforms are starting to be set up now. And, as always, they say much more than the official speeches admit.
