The president () met, this Wednesday (11), with the senator (-MG) and once again asked him to be a candidate for the Government of Minas Gerais, where the PT member is still seeking to build a strong platform to boost his re-election.
The senator, however, maintained his resistance and recommended other possible candidates from the field in the state to Lula. Pacheco responded that he intends to end his political career and that he would only run if there was no alternative — which is not the case in his assessment.
For Pacheco’s allies, the decision to be a candidate is being matured. One of the obstacles to this, the search for a new party, as shown by Sheet. However, questions still persist about how to make the senator’s candidacy viable.
Among the alternative names discussed between Lula and Pacheco to run for the Minas Gerais government are the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD); the former mayor of (PDT); the mayor of Contagem, Marília Campos (PT); former councilor Gabriel Azevedo (MDB); the dean of UFMG, Sandra Goulart; former Attorney General Jarbas Soares; and former minister Walfrido dos Mares Guia.
While Lula insists on Pacheco, given the uncertainty of the scenario in the state, considered crucial in the national election as it has the second largest electoral college. Plan B also includes senator Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicans) and the president of the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, Tadeu Leite ().
After the meeting between Lula and Pacheco, which took place in the afternoon, pressure grew on the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court), rapporteur of the case, following the revelation of and his brother-in-law, Fabiano Zettel, in which they both discuss payments to the company Maridt,
Last year, Pacheco was passed over by Lula for a vacancy on the STF — the PT member preferred to nominate the former attorney general of the Union, Jorge Messias, contradicting the president of , (União Brasil-AP).
raised the hypothesis, mainly among Bolsonarists, that a possible removal of Toffoli would open the door, which would naturally be Pacheco.
The senator’s interlocutors claim that he is currently only taking into account the October election, as this is Lula’s priority, while developments in the STF run in parallel and could take longer.
Pacheco must join União Brasil, although he has also held talks with the MDB. The affiliation was brokered by Alcolumbre, with whom he is close, and further distances União Brasil from supporting the presidential candidacy of the senator (PL-RJ) — Lula’s main opponent.
Federal deputy Rodrigo de Castro, an ally of Pacheco, assumed the presidency of the party’s state directory to pave the way for the senator’s migration.
With the changes, União Brasil and the União Progressista federation, which includes the PP, disembark from the candidacy of vice-governor Mateus Simões (PSD), who will take over the government in April after the resignation of (Novo) and will run for re-election. Simões is Pacheco’s opponent, and his affiliation with the PSD forced the senator’s departure from the party. Zema, in turn, should run for Palácio do Planalto with the support of his vice-governor.
PT members envision a strong ticket for Pacheco, with Kalil and Marília as candidates for the Senate. Lula says, behind the scenes, that he intends to count on the senator for a broad political project. He proposes setting up a platform to provide security for Pacheco to take on the challenge.
Lula and his allies estimate that the 2026 presidential election will be fierce. Having strong candidates for governor campaigning for the PT member would be important for him not to lose votes he had in the states in 2022. That year, .
