Ciro could launch his campaign as an "anti-Lula" candidate for the PSDB in 2026.
The former minister is seen by allies as a viable alternative on the right, with criticisms directed at Lula and moves to leave the PDT party.
247 - Allies of former minister Ciro Gomes argue that he should take advantage of the impasse between right-wing governors to consolidate himself as the main opponent of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2026 presidential elections. This information was published by... Estadão Column, from the newspaper The State of S. Paul.
According to these sources, the presidential candidates from the conservative camp remain trapped by the influence of former president Jair Bolsonaro and cannot move freely at this time. Ciro, on the other hand, being outside this sphere of influence, would be in a position to begin building a presidential project with an opposition profile.
PSDB as a platform for 2026
Among party leaders and supporters, it's practically a given that Ciro will leave the PDT to join the PSDB. The move is seen as strategic because the PSDB would have an easier time establishing bridges with centrist parties, considered crucial in any national election.
Although contacted by reporters, Ciro did not comment on the possible change of party affiliation nor on his electoral plans for 2026.
Focus on Lula and caution with Bolsonaro.
If his candidacy is confirmed, the strategy is for Ciro to focus his attacks on Lula, avoiding direct clashes with Bolsonaro. The goal is to occupy the right-wing spot in the second round, a space that, in 2022, was restricted to the polarization between PT supporters and Bolsonaro supporters.
Allies acknowledge that Ciro was slow to adopt this stance in the last election and, therefore, was left out of the central race. For 2026, the expectation is that he will be more incisive against the president from the start.
Narrative dispute and political marketing
In addition to party political maneuvering, Ciro has also sought to engage in symbolic battles. Recently, he participated in the so-called "hat war," a marketing strategy that uses popular symbols to reinforce political identity with the electorate.
This move reveals that the former minister intends to compete not only in the institutional arena, but also in the realm of narratives and political communication, an area where Lula and Bolsonaro have dominated the debate for years.
