Leite congratulates Caiado, but does not declare support for the PSD pre-candidate for President
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite (PSD), published this Tuesday, 31st, a message on social media in which he says he spoke with the former governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), to congratulate him on his choice by the party as a pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. Leite did not declare support for his co-religionist’s candidacy.
“I recently spoke with my colleague Caiado and congratulated him on choosing the PSD”, wrote Leite in
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On Monday, the 30th, Leite had said in a video that he had not yet spoken to Caiado after the announcement. In the publication, the governor classified the PSD’s decision as something that “disenchants” and that “tends to maintain this environment of radicalized polarization that limits our country so much” – without mentioning his colleague by name.
The PSD officially announced Caiado’s pre-candidacy on Monday afternoon, at the party’s headquarters in São Paulo. The definition gained strength after the withdrawal of Ratinho Júnior (PSD), who was considered the internal favorite until last week. Caiado left the government this Tuesday.
With their choice confirmed, Leite and Ratinho Júnior are left out of the 2026 elections. Brazilian electoral legislation requires governors to resign from their position up to six months before the election to run for another position. The two announced that they will serve as governor until the end.
It is the third time that Leite has seen a presidential candidacy unfeasible. In 2022, he lost the PSDB caucuses to João Doria. After migrating to the PSD, he was passed over again.
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul had said that he would only leave office “to run for President”. With his candidacy discarded, he stated that he will concentrate his efforts on electing vice-governor Gabriel Souza (MDB) as his successor in the state.
