Rio Grande do Norte’s Fátima Bezerra Drops Senate Bid, Will Serve Out Term

Overview

• In a public letter and a news conference on March 17, Bezerra confirmed she will stay in office through December and withdraw from the Senate race.
• She said the plan collapsed after Vice Governor Walter Alves broke a 2022 pledge to assume the governorship, which would have triggered an indirect vote in the state Assembly.
• Allied accounts report President Lula urged Bezerra to prioritize securing a successor because the PT lacks the votes to guarantee a friendly interim governor.
• Bezerra endorsed Finance Secretary Cadu Xavier as her preferred successor, while PT figures are being floated for the party’s Senate slot, including Samanda Alves, Thabatta Pimenta and Natália Bonavides.
• Alves repositioned the MDB alongside União Brasil, PP and PSD, announced a run for state deputy, and signaled support for opposition contenders such as Mossoró mayor Allyson Bezerra.