Overview

• Jorge Messias, the attorney general of the Union, is widely reported as the favorite to fill Luís Roberto Barroso’s vacated seat after Barroso’s retirement took effect on Oct. 18.
• Lula is expected to consult Senate President Davi Alcolumbre early this week before traveling, with allies signaling an announcement later in October and some outlets pointing to Tuesday, Oct. 21.
• The government and evangelical interlocutors have asked Justice André Mendonça to help secure conservative votes for Messias, who would need 41 senators to be confirmed.
• Barroso recently dined with Lula and, according to reports, praised Messias, TCU minister Bruno Dantas and Senator Rodrigo Pacheco as qualified possibilities.
• A likely Messias nomination is drawing criticism over loyalty-based selections and limited diversity, and it would trigger a succession race at the AGU with names such as Flávio Roman, Isadora Cartaxo, Clarice Calixto and Anelize Almeida in play.