PL Valdemar: Michelle would be the only one, besides Bolsonaro, who would beat Lula in 2026

PL President Valdemar Costa Neto said former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) would be the only candidate who would beat President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) in next year’s elections, and former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is ineligible. The statement took place at a PL Woman event in Guarulhos this Saturday, 5.

At the event, the PL leader praised Michelle and said she is a “big surprise” since she hit the caption. “And to our surprise, she, after Bolsonaro, she is the only one who hits Lula in the second round in all the research we did,” he said.

Valdemar Costa Neto said the presidential candidate for next year is still Bolsonaro, but that if he cannot be in the election, he will choose the new name. “If there is an injustice in Brazil and prevent it, who chooses the candidate is not the party, it is President Bolsonaro, because he has the votes,” he said.

With Bolsonaro ineligible until 2030 due to convictions in the Electoral Court, names listed to replace it have moved.

In June, three opinion research institutes released polls about the 2026 electoral scenario. In the three, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) appears with a technical draw in second -round simulations against possible opponents, including São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), and Michelle Bolsonaro.

During the participation, the PL leader also stressed that his support is to Bolsonaro “and who he chooses if he is not a candidate.”

Enthusiastic congressmen of the former first lady’s participation in next year’s elections told Estadão’s column in June that it would not make sense Michelle to give up their political protagonism.

Michelle occupies the position of president at PL Mulher and led this Saturday’s event alongside federal deputy Rosana Valle (PL-SP), who president to the state executive of the legend, and Valdemar. She stressed that she supports her husband’s candidacy for next year. “Today, I’m here with Jair Messias Bolsonaro,” he said.

“I was not elected by the people, but I worked alongside a man who was raised by God to change the political history of this nation, and, surely, in 2026, he will come back, because this lie, this whole project of evil against his life will not prevail. There is no democracy without candidacy of Jair Bolsonaro in 2026,” he added.

The former president made a two-minute appearance at the event by video. He congratulated women who participate in politics and said it will soon be a matter of the past what he classified as “this moment of anguish.”

The event aimed to define strategies for strengthening ongoing mandates and future female candidates in 2026.