PL leader said that the deadline for Ratinho Junior to join Flávio Bolsonaro’s ticket ended last week
The leader of the PL in the Chamber, (RJ), said this Tuesday (24.mar.2026) to the Poder360 that the deadline for the governor of Paraná, (PSD), to join the presidential pre-candidate, the senator (PL-RJ), as vice-president, was closed last week.
According to the deputy, part of the PL defended the name of Ratinho Junior to head the ticket, assessing that the governor would have a strong capacity to transfer votes to the former president’s son (PL).
Sóstenes stated that Ratinho’s support for Flávio’s campaign would be “very welcome“, highlighting the ideological convergence between the two. He also said that the ideal scenario for the senator would include the simultaneous support of Ratinho and the former judge (PL-PR), who joined the party this Tuesday (24. Mar. 2026).
Despite this, there is an internal agreement in the PSD that pre-candidates not chosen by the party to run for Palácio do Planalto must support the selected name.
RATINHO JUNIOR WAS SEEN AS “FAVORITE”
Ratinho Junior decided this Monday (March 23, 2026) to complete his term of office until December 2026 and to choose a candidate for the Planalto.
The governor of Paraná was considered a favorite to represent the party as a candidate for President. The former governor of Santa Catarina, Jorge Bornhausen (PSD), told Poder360 on March 17, 2026 that the party’s national president, , confirmed Ratinho Junior’s pre-candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic.
Party congressmen heard by the Poder360 They also assessed at the time that the governor of Paraná was emerging as the favorite. It was due to leading electoral polls, having greater internal density and longer membership. A deputy stated that the choice would be “unanimous”.
MORO AND LACK OF SUCCESSOR MOTIVATED THE WITHDRAWAL
The risk of a successor in Paraná weighed heavily on Ratinho Junior, making room for Moro — who . Flávio’s decision to support the former Lava Jato judge further weakened the governor’s chances of gaining an ally, along with the lack of support from other parties, such as Novo.
The lack of competitive names to run for the Senate also weighed heavily.
If he left office to run for Planalto and was defeated, Ratinho Junior would run the risk of losing space in the State itself, with the strengthening of the opposing camp, not being able to elect senators and still seeing the absence of a viable successor to the government consolidated.
In this scenario, the decision to remain in office was seen as a way of preserving political capital until 2026, trying to strengthen a government candidate capable of facing Moro and, at the same time, enabling the election of at least one ally to the Senate, avoiding being left without a power base from 2027 onwards.
