PL and Republicanos Form Alliance in Minas Gerais with Senator Cleitinho as Leading Candidate
PL and Republicanos parties move toward a coalition in Minas Gerais, with Senator Cleitinho leading in polls as potential gubernatorial candidate.
- • PL and Republicanos are forming an alliance for the Minas Gerais governor race.
- • Senator Cleitinho leads in polls with 37% voter intention but hasn't officially declared candidacy.
- • Cleitinho uses a strategic approach, preferring to keep political plans undisclosed while criticizing party leadership.
- • Coalition announcement is expected soon, amid Cleitinho's ambivalence about political career versus sports commentary ambitions.
Key details
The political parties PL (Partido Liberal) and Republicanos are advancing toward a coalition to contest the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in Minas Gerais. Central to this alliance is Senator Cleitinho Azevedo, who is widely regarded as the coalition's main candidate. Official announcements about the coalition are expected to be made soon.
Senator Cleitinho currently leads voter intentions according to the latest Quaest polling, holding 37% of popular support, which is more than double that of his nearest competitor. Despite his lead, Azevedo has not made a formal declaration of candidacy, choosing instead to maintain strategic ambiguity. He explained his approach, stating, "I don’t need to bark that I am a candidate; that’s for those behind in the polls," likening his political maneuvering to a performer maintaining an element of surprise.
Known for his unconventional style, Azevedo prefers to discuss football over politics, often showcasing his expansive football jersey collection in social media videos. Originally from Divinópolis, he gained prominence during the 2022 elections with over 4 million votes. He identifies as a political outsider and deliberately avoids alignment with traditional left or right labels, supporting recent measures by President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, such as ending the 6x1 scale and classifying criminal organizations as terrorist groups.
Azevedo has voiced distrust and criticism of the Republicanos party leadership, explicitly targeting former federal deputy Eduardo Cunha and vowing to oppose him politically in Minas Gerais. While his current trajectory suggests a serious political project, Azevedo candidly admitted that his long-term dream is to become a sports commentator or television presenter, indicating some ambivalence in his political aspirations.
With PL and Republicanos eager to solidify their alliance, the coming days will likely see more definitive steps toward formalizing their candidacies and electoral strategies in Minas Gerais.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
