Nunes Won’t Seek 2026 São Paulo Governorship, Throws Support Behind Tarcísio

Overview

• São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes said he will not run for governor in 2026, pledging to finish his term and to work for Tarcísio de Freitas whether he pursues reelection or the presidency.
• Nunes added that he would only leave City Hall for a federal post if invited and cited Vice Governor Felicio Ramuth as the natural name to succeed Tarcísio at the state level.
• Governor Tarcísio publicly defended Jair Bolsonaro, calling him innocent and criticizing the decision to remove him from his home given his health condition.
• Tarcísio has not declared a presidential run but, according to reporting, has grown more open to it and intends to make a final decision by March 2026.
• Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro’s preventive detention citing risks from a planned vigil and references to possible embassy escape routes, developments that have curtailed Bolsonaro’s ability to anoint a 2026 standard-bearer.