The governor (Republicans) ends 2025 by reinforcing to his team that he will run for re-election next year and asking for a rush to complete projects, while some of his main allies are still hoping for a turnaround that will lead him to the Presidency.
Since the senator (PL) launched himself as a pre-candidate against (PT), with the support of his father, (PL), surprising Tarcísio, his team and leaders of allied parties, the governor has been telling interlocutors that he never assumed he wanted the Palácio do Planalto in 2026. He has reaffirmed that his objective is to be re-elected governor.
Tarcísio and will be out of government from this Friday (26th), until January 11th. The break comes after a final stretch with daily public agendas in the capital and Grande, areas in which it did poorly in the last elections, to deliver works and renew promises.
During this period, the vice-governor will take over the state administration, who, according to Tarcísio’s allies, is the governor, if the governor still runs for President, or to continue as vice-president on the re-election ticket.
On Saturday (20) and Tuesday (23), Tarcísio participated in events to deliver affordable housing on the coast and in Guarulhos, a cable-stayed viaduct in ABC, part of the northern section of the Rodoanel and the Jaboticabal swimming pool, designed to contain floods between the capital and neighboring São Caetano and São Bernardo do Campo.
At all events, the governor stopped to take photos with workers and supporters, gave speeches promising new subway lines and, on the Rodoanel and at the swimming pool, he took the opportunity to highlight that his government “fights corruption”, involving delays in projects.
The Tarcísio government claims to have delivered 80 thousand units through Casa Paulista, considering properties that received state funding of around R$10 thousand. On the Rodoanel, Tarcísio continued the previous administration’s notice and handed over part of the northern section. The Jaboticabal swimming pool also started earlier, and its delays were attributed by the then governor João Doria to the Bolsonaro administration, of which the governor was part. This information was left out of the speech.
Allies told the Sheet that Tarcísio had already indicated that he wanted an end of the year with deliveries to show, but they emphasize that the impulse intensified after the launch of Flávio’s pre-candidacy, with greater emphasis on re-election.
The order to speed up the completion of projects was aimed especially at secretaries who must leave their positions to run for the Legislature next year — whom Tarcísio wants out of the government in January.
Four secretaries must still leave, in addition to Guilherme Derrite (PP), who has already left Public Security to try for the Senate: Guilherme Piai (PL), from Agriculture; Helena Reis (Republicans), from Sports; and Roberto Lucena (Republicans), from Tourism, should run for the Chamber of Deputies. Gilberto Kassab (PSD) said he intends to coordinate the campaign of his party, of which he is national president.
The expectation that Tarcísio would run for President had led political leaders in São Paulo to move towards the position of governor, in a behind-the-scenes battle. This movement, according to Sheet it cleared, it cooled down.
On Tuesday, during the delivery of the Jaboticabal swimming pool, one of those trying to win the government, the mayor of the capital Ricardo Nunes (MDB), forgot to mention, in his speech, another of those seeking the position: the president of Alesp, André do Prado (PL).
The episode was treated as a protocol disagreement and ended with a gesture of public cordiality, with Nunes inviting Prado to visit together a city hall project, in the north zone, in the afternoon — an invitation that the deputy accepted.
However, in Tarcísio’s closest circle, the governor’s stay in São Paulo is still not unanimously considered certain — allies still see a chance of Flávio giving up his presidential candidacy.
Ana Luiza Albuquerque collaborated
