Overview

• In a new interview, Senator Ciro Nogueira said Jair Bolsonaro has already chosen the right’s 2026 candidate and suggested a January announcement, naming Tarcísio de Freitas and Ratinho Júnior as viable only with Bolsonaro’s support.
• Goiás Governor Ronaldo Caiado blasted Ciro’s stance as “shameful,” accused him of acting as Bolsonaro’s spokesman, and said the senator was trying to veto other pre-candidacies, including his own.
• Ciro responded on X with irony about Caiado’s lengthy post, dismissed “empty quarrels,” and stated that their real adversary is President Lula.
• Reporting says Tarcísio has shown reluctance to run and has promoted Ratinho Júnior as a right-wing option, arguing Ratinho’s low rejection and high unfamiliarity offer growth and a path to a runoff even if Eduardo Bolsonaro joins the race.
• The public spat, coming after the PP–União Brasil federation, is being read as evidence of internal competition on the right, with Centrão leaders pushing to coalesce around a candidate by year’s end.