Colonel Marcos Rocha, governor of Rondônia, was announced as a new member of the PSD; new affiliations make Kassab’s party command 6 states in Brazil
After Roberto Caido, it was time for Colonel Marcos Rocha, governor of Rondônia, to leave União Brasil and join the PSD, Gilberto Kassab’s party.
“For me it is an honor to be here now in the PSD, a serious party that has been contributing to the development of our country,” said the governor of Rondônia in a video shared on social media on Friday (30). “PSD received me with great affection and this affection will be reciprocated by me with a lot of work to strengthen the PSD in the northern region”, added Rocha, who was re-elected in 2022 supporting former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Kassab, who made the membership announcement, said the newest member “strengthens the party.” “Always count on us, we will be in the same trench”, said the PSD president. With the new affiliations – Roberto Caiado and Marcos Rocha -, the acronym led by Gilberto Kassab, who already had control of the majority of city halls (more than 850), also now commands 6 statesnumbers that represent a broad electoral base and that attract any candidate for president.
PSD governors
- Sergipe – Fabio
- Goiás – Roberto Caido
- Rio Grande do Sul – Eduardo Leite
- Paraná – Ratinho Jr.
- Rondônia – Colonel Marco Rocha
- Pernambuco – Raquel Lyra
See this photo on Instagram
A post shared by Gilberto Kassab (@gilbertokassab_)
Strengthening the PSD
With its eyes on the 2026 Elections, the PSD has three presidential candidates: Eduardo Leite (PSD-RS), Ratinho Júnior (PSD-PR) and Roberto Caiado (PSD-GO), of which.
“The decision will be very calm and I can say that it will have the full understanding of the three“, said the president of the PSD in an interview with Jornal Jovem Pan. Kassab has already made it clear that his party seeks center-left and center-right voters, those who do not want to walk with either President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) or Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ).
But more than running for president, Kassab also wants to have strength in the Three Houses. No wonder too which is considered one of the favorites for forming an alliance with the PSD, which can be seen as a “third way” in the 2026 elections for Planalto.
Center and center-right parties understand that the movements isolate Flávio Bolsonaro and strengthen Gilberto Kassab, leader of the PSD, in future negotiations. As shown by the from Jovem Pan, Kassab “doesn’t usually make a point and generally allies himself with those who have a chance of winning” and these moves are a way for the PSD president to try to affect pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
And it’s not just him. PSD members articulate a ticket with President Lula, launching Eduardo Leite as vice-president. The party has three ministries in the government and maintains a good relationship with the head of the Executive, who needs to regain his popularity to make a fourth term viable.
