Overview
- Cláudio Castro said that if the decision were made now he would not seek a Senate seat in 2026 and would finish his gubernatorial term through December 31, 2026.
- The governor stated he will support whichever presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro chooses for 2026.
- Castro rejected the idea that stepping back from a Senate bid is tied to competition for the seat.
- PL already backs Senator Flávio Bolsonaro for one Rio seat, and party leader Valdemar Costa Neto has said Jair Bolsonaro will choose the other key candidacies.
- An August Paraná Pesquisas survey shows Flávio Bolsonaro leading senatorial scenarios in Rio, with other likely contenders including Marcelo Crivella, Benedita da Silva and Alessandro Molon, as two Senate seats per state will be up for election in 2026.