Pacheco Praises Lula as He Weighs Bid for Minas Governor

Overview

• At events on March 20 in Betim and Sete Lagoas, Senator Rodrigo Pacheco lauded Lula as an “extraordinary figure” and “the greatest democrat” in Brazil’s history.
• Pacheco said a run for governor must be evaluated with responsibility and stressed that his name is not indispensable, citing other potential contenders in Minas.
• With PSD in Minas already backing Vice-Governor Mateus Simões, Pacheco acknowledged a strong tendency to leave the party, and reports point to a likely move to União Brasil if he enters the race.
• Lula has pressed Pacheco to head a pro-government ticket in Brazil’s second-largest electorate, a step that allies say could also ease the path for AGU chief Jorge Messias’s pending Supreme Court nomination.
• PT leaders in the state are waiting on Pacheco’s decision, with party expectations coalescing around Contagem Mayor Marília Campos as a prospective Senate candidate.