Former minister states that he started the pre-campaign at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and that the pre-candidacy is within the electoral rules
Former Minister of the Civil House (PT) stated this Sunday (March 15, 2026) that he is a pre-candidate for federal deputy for São Paulo in the 2026 elections. The statement was made during an event celebrating his 80th birthday in the capital of São Paulo.
In an exclusive interview with Poder360Dirceu said that the decision was taken at the invitation of the president (PT) and is being carried out within the rules established by the Electoral Court. “I am a pre-candidate, at the request and invitation of President Lula. I returned to the National Directory and am already carrying out a pre-campaign within the law and TSE resolutions”he stated.
The former minister stated that he intends to contribute to political coordination in Congress and the federal government’s agenda. Dirceu was chief minister of the Civil House in Lula’s first term and remains one of the PT’s main historical figures.
The celebration took place in the Salão Nobre of Parque São Jorge, in the east zone of the capital of São Paulo, and brought together activists and supporters from different regions of the State. The organization of the event highlighted that the celebration focused on meeting São Paulo activists. A 2nd celebration is scheduled for 3rd (18th March), in Brasília, with the presence of politicians and party leaders.
Political trajectory
One of the main historical leaders of the PT, Dirceu was elected federal deputy for São Paulo for the first time in 1998. In the Chamber, he gained prominence for his work in the political articulation of the opposition to the federal government of the time and for his leadership within the party bench.
In 2003, he left office to take over as head of the Civil House in the first government of Lulaa position in which he became one of Planalto’s main political coordinators.
In 2005, his mandate as deputy was revoked following the Mensalão scandal. He was later convicted at the trial of Criminal Action 470 and served a prison sentence in a closed and home regime.
Years later, he was investigated again and convicted in cases linked to , also with periods of preventive detention. The convictions were later overturned by decisions of the STFwhich highlighted problems of jurisdiction in the trials conducted by the Federal Court of Curitiba.
Since then, Dirceu has returned to work in the PT’s national leadership and in the party’s political articulation. Now, he intends to return to the National Congress in the 2026 elections.
This report was produced by Journalism intern Gabriella Santos under the supervision of the Assistant Editorial Secretary, Sabrina Freire.
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