President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and former president Jair Bolsonaro accelerated negotiations for the 2026 presidential race and have held a series of meetings to secure state platforms, mainly in the country’s largest electoral colleges.
Lula, who will run for reelection, has a conversation scheduled for Tuesday with the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin to organize the scenario in São Paulo.
Bolsonaro, who is imprisoned in Papudinha, in Brasília, convicted of leading a coup plot, is trying to resolve internal conflicts within his group for seats in the Senate. Ineligible, the former president must be represented in the presidential race by his son, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ).
While the former president has a platform defined for the government of São Paulo, as the current governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) must seek re-election, Lula is still trying to convince the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, to run as a candidate for governor of the state.
The expectation of government allies is that Haddad accepts Lula’s request and becomes a candidate. Lula is concerned about having a competitive name in the main state in the country and avoiding an electoral advantage for Flávio that culminates in the defeat of the PT member.
Regarding Alckmin, there is still doubt about what role he will play in the state dispute. There are negotiations for Lula’s vice to be used to attract a centrist party and the main names remembered are from the MDB, but there is pressure from government allies to keep Alckmin as vice.
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Ministers Marina Silva (Environment) and Simone Tebet (Planning) are considered for Lula’s platform in São Paulo and could run for the Senate.
Race in Minas
The PT member should also get involved in the next few days in the construction of his electoral platform in Minas Gerais, with talks to seal the future party of senator Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), who should be a candidate for governor.
Lula and Pacheco were together on visits to cities hit by floods in Minas. Pacheco will have to leave the PSD because the party has joined the vice-governor of Minas, Matheus Simões, who is his opponent and should run for governor.
The senator is considering joining the MDB or União Brasil, but first wants assurance that the parties will not support Flávio for president and is counting on Lula to negotiate to prevent this.
Bolsonaro intervenes in right-wing conflicts
On Bolsonaro’s side, the problems involve conflicts between the PL and other allied parties in places like São Paulo and the Federal District. Until the end of March, Jair Bolsonaro has authorized visits from a series of allies, including deputies Marco Feliciano (PL-SP) and Bia Kicis (PL-DF), who are trying to be candidates for senators.
Bolsonaro will receive Kicis on the 14th and will meet with Feliciano on the 21st. Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), coordinator of Flávio’s pre-campaign, will meet with the former president on the 25th.
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He will also receive assistants from the governors of Rio, Cláudio Castro (PL), and Tarcísio, on the 14th and 18th respectively.
Although there is a candidate for governor defined in São Paulo, Bolsonarism has not yet defined the Senate. Deputy Guilherme Derrite (PP) has a more advanced agreement to try for one of the vacancies, but the other is still subject to definition. In addition to Feliciano, the names of the vice-mayor of São Paulo, Coronel Mello Araújo (PL) and deputy Mario Frias (PL) are considered — Araújo asked minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), for authorization to visit Bolsonaro, in a request that has not yet been analyzed.
In February, Bolsonaro received Derrite and senator Wilder Morais, who is expected to be a candidate for governor of Goiás for the PL.
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In the Federal District, the right should have vice-governor Celina Leão (PP) as a candidate for government and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) running for one of the seats in the Senate. Bia Kicis is considered Bolsonarism’s favorite to also try for the other vacancy, but governor Ibaneis Rocha (MDB) also wants to run.
In notes made to assess the scenario in the states, Flávio himself recognizes the difficulty of making an alliance with Celina viable for the government without including Ibaneis on the ticket.
In recent days, the PL has rushed to define candidatures for the Senate and resolve internal conflicts. With the direct intervention of Jair Bolsonaro, two internal disputes had an agreement announced in recent days.
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With his father’s approval, Flávio announced that the candidates for the Senate in Santa Catarina will be deputy Caroline de Toni and former councilor Carlos Bolsonaro, both from PL. The agreement leaves no room for senator Esperidião Amin (PP) who is seeking re-election in the state and must now form an alliance with the Santa Catarina PSD to be a candidate on another ticket.
In Mato Grosso do Sul, it was up to former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro to announce it. Michelle published on social media this Saturday a letter from her husband in which he says that deputy Marcos Pollon (PL) will be a candidate for the Senate
There are two places up for grabs in each state this year. In addition to Pollon, other names from the PL were being considered to run for the Senate, such as Reinaldo Azambuja (PL) and Capitão Contar (PL), and the situation was being discussed by the party.
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Last week, records made by Flávio came to light in which he writes Pollon’s name, with the following note next to it: “he asked for 15 million to not be a candidate”. Pollon denied having made any such request.
In another letter written by the former president and also released by Michelle, he complains about criticism of the former first lady and the internal disputes for the Senate.
“In a majority campaign, as well as the coveted seats for the Senate, support must come through dialogue and persuasion, never through pressure or attacks between allies,” he said.
