PT leaders reacted this Saturday (April 11, 2026) to the Datafolha survey which, showed (PL) numerically in front of (PT) in a 2nd round scenario. The survey showed a technical tie between the 2 pre-candidates, with the senator scoring 46% against 45% for the president. The margin of error is two percentage points.
Lula also technically draws in the scenarios against (Novo) and against (PSD).
The national president of the PT, defended Lula and attributed the loss of leadership in voting intentions to the context of scandals affecting the country.
“The survey is a snapshot of the moment. It reflects the growth of anti-system sentiment, mainly due to allegations of corruption that the country is experiencing“, he stated.
For the leader, there is an inevitable side effect: the perception of irregularities causes responsibility to fall on those in power. Edinho also sought to reposition the government in the debate and stated that the ongoing investigations come from the administration itself.
“If the allegations are being investigated, it is President Lula’s merit. Our task is to make it clear that whoever is sponsoring the investigation of all the allegations, INSS, Master, is President Lula”, he said.
SCANDALS INFLUENCE
The diagnosis is not new within PT. Party members assess that recent episodes involving Banco Master, as well as investigations into INSS fraud and suspicions raised against the president’s son, Lulinha, have the potential to politically undermine the government and influence the electoral environment. THE Poder360 that PT members saw electoral risk in this combination of cases.
The internal reading, however, is that the situation is still fluid and can be changed with the formal start of the campaign. There is an expectation that Flávio will have a lower performance in the debates and greater public exposure, which could increase his rejection. Allies also believe they will have a positive impact and help improve the environment.
The federal deputy (PT-RJ) also minimized the research numbers, but recognized the seriousness of the scenario.
“There are a lot of people asking me about this new Datafolha survey today in which Flávio Bolsonaro appears tied with Lula. In fact, this will be a decisive election for the future of our country, but I am convinced that Lula will be re-elected”, no X.
He believes in a direct clash with Flávio Bolsonaro as a strategy to reverse the trend. It is the PT’s declared strategy. And according to Lindbergh, exposing the differences between the 2 camps tends to benefit Lula.
“The survey is a snapshot of the moment and the campaign hasn’t even started yet. When the campaign starts, we will show who is who. Flávio Bolsonaro means more weapons, more bets, more militias”he declared.
The deputy associated his opponent with unpopular agendas and argued that the government should focus communication on economic indicators. He cited the drop in unemployment, the increase in income and social programs as assets.
“Flávio Bolsonaro means that the minimum wage will be frozen. It means a 12-hour working day, while President Lula wants the end of the 6×1 scale”, he said.
REJECTION
To the Poder360the PT’s communications secretary, said that the acronym will intensify the comparison between Lula’s government and the administration of (PL). According to him, the PT is self-critical about communication at the beginning of its mandate.
“The party committed a mistake by not explaining the size of the damage it inherited”he stated.
The PT also assesses that the high rejection is linked to Lula’s high level of knowledge. Datafolha shows that the president is known by practically the entire electorate — 99% say they know who he is.
At the same time, leaders admit a communication problem. The reading is that a relevant part of the population does not know or does not directly associate economic and social results with the government.
This diagnosis has already been publicly exposed within the Planalto itself. In a ministerial meeting, the then head of the Civil House, , questioned whether “the people know” of the government’s actions and defended expanding the comparison with the previous administration.
The current level raises alarm in the party. In a polarization scenario, rejection works as an electoral ceiling and can limit the president’s growth. The campaign will require winning back undecided voters and publicizing the government’s achievements.
FLAVIO EMPATA
In the Datafolha survey, the Senator and PL pre-candidate for President has 46% of voting intentions against 45% of the current president in a possible 2nd round dispute for Planalto.
When the survey considers the former governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado (PSD) or the former governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema (Novo) as Lula’s rival in the 2nd round, the president scores 45% to 42%.
As the margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points, all of these scenarios constitute ties. The Datafolha survey interviewed 2,004 voters in 137 cities from Tuesday (April 7) to Thursday (April 9). It is registered with the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) with code BR-03770/2026.
Regarding voting intentions in the 2nd round, here is how the interviewees responded in the 3 scenarios:
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