Paes Confirms Rio Governor Bid as Camilo Santana Plans March Exit From Education Ministry

Overview

• Eduardo Paes publicly said he is in pre‑campaign for governor and signaled a handover of Rio City Hall around late March to comply with Brazil’s disincompatibilização rule that requires leaving office by early April.
• He reiterated support for President Lula yet stressed he will not nationalize the race and will pursue broad alliances, including partners outside the PT orbit.
• Paes escalated a dispute by linking PT’s André Ceciliano to Rodrigo Bacellar in the context of a likely indirect gubernatorial vote if Cláudio Castro resigns; Ceciliano denied any candidacy plans and called the remarks a “fala nervosinha.”
• Polling snapshots, including a RealTime Big Data survey in December, show Paes as a clear frontrunner in multiple Rio scenarios, reaching 55% in one test.
• Education Minister Camilo Santana said he may leave the MEC by March to work for Elmano de Freitas’s re‑election and Lula’s campaign in Ceará, a move framed by Ciro Gomes’s recent gains in polls and by allies who see Camilo as a possible substitute if needed.