Governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for president said that his vice is building support for the PL
The governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for the presidency of the Republic, (New), he said this Monday (March 9, 2026) to Poder360 that the PL can join the PSD in supporting the candidacy of vice-governor Mateus Simões (PSD) for the government of Minas Gerais.
“My commitment is to vice-governor Mateus Simões, who will be a candidate for the PSD. He may be able to get along with the PL as well. So we can be moving forward together with the PL”he declared.
Minas Gerais is considered a decisive state in the presidential elections. In politics, there is a maxim that “whoever wins in Minas is elected president”. Given this, PL and PSD seek to get closer to Zema.
Watch the interview (6min):
The governor’s relationship with the PSD intensified after Simões joined the party led by . At the same time, PL leaders have already indicated that they see Zema as a possible national ally. Party members even mentioned the governor’s name as on a ticket headed by Senator (PL-RJ) in the dispute for Palácio do Planalto.
Zema stated that he did not receive formal proposals in exchange for political support. “I’ve never had any formal invitation and there won’t be any, because my position is to take my pre-candidacy and candidacy until the end”these.
The governor declared that the priority of his political group is the election of Simões to the Minas Gerais government. “Inside Minas, it is possible to walk together”he stated when commenting on the possibility of convergence between PSD and PL in the State.
Zema said he is confident in the vice-governor’s performance in the state dispute. According to him, Simões’ candidacy could increase support even if União Brasil ceases to be part of the alliance, with eventual from the senator (PSD-MG) abbreviated to to compete for the government of Minas.
For the Senate, Zema stated that he already has a political commitment with the Secretary of Government of Minas Gerais, Marcelo Aro (PP). The governor said he will still define the name for the 2nd vacancy.
DISPUTE FOR PLANALTO
Zema stated that he intends to contest the 2026 presidential elections even with modest voting intention polls. According to him, starting the campaign with “small numbers” doesn’t worry him. Zema must de Minas on March 22, 2026 to run for Palácio do Planalto.
“I’m very comfortable starting a dispute with small numbers, but they tend to grow over time. I’m very convinced that what Brazilians want is what we did in Minas Gerais”he declared.
Watch (1min20s):
The governor said he intends to present the results of his management in the State to the national electorate. According to him, the Minas Gerais government managed to regain administrative credibility and improve fiscal management.
The Datafolha survey carried out from March 3 to 5, 2026 indicates that Zema has between 4% and 5% of for the presidency.
The survey interviewed 2,004 voters in 137 municipalities across the country. The margin of error is 2 percentage points, plus or minus, with a 95% confidence level. The research was registered with the Superior Electoral Court under code BR-03715/2026. According to the institute, the study cost R$307,641.60 and was financed with its own resources.
