Cleitinho’s clash with Republicanos leader deepens uncertainty in Minas Gerais

Cleitinho Azevedo, a senator from the Republicanos party and the leading name in early polls for governor of Minas Gerais, has publicly criticized the party’s national president, federal deputy Marcos Pereira, further complicating the political landscape in the state. Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s largest electoral hubs, remains the only major state where the top presidential contenders, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, still have no confirmed local campaign platform.

In an interview with O Globo, Cleitinho said he is not friends with Pereira and does not fully trust him. He stated that Pereira has promised him the party’s support if he chooses to run for governor, but added that he is not “100%” confident in that assurance. Cleitinho also attacked Eduardo Cunha, the former lower-house speaker who plans to seek another term as a federal deputy under the Republicanos banner and is viewed as an important vote-getter for the party in Minas Gerais.

Marcos Pereira responded by saying he has already assured Cleitinho that the party will back him if he decides to run for governor, but argued that it is Cleitinho who appears uncertain about his own plans.

The dispute adds another layer of uncertainty in Minas Gerais, where political alliances remain unresolved. Last week, Flávio Bolsonaro visited the state, taking part mainly in agribusiness-related events and trying to formalize an alliance with Cleitinho. Bolsonaro praised him publicly and said he would like to campaign alongside him in Minas Gerais. However, Cleitinho has not yet confirmed support for the partnership.

Uncertainty is not limited to the right. The Workers’ Party, or PT, is also searching for a new name to support in the state after Rodrigo Pacheco, originally seen as Lula’s preferred option in Minas Gerais, ruled out a gubernatorial run. On Wednesday, June 3, PT national president Edinho Silva met in Brasília with state lawmaker Gabriel Azevedo of the MDB and with MDB leader Baleia Rossi. According to people familiar with the talks, the more than three-hour meeting moved in the direction of Azevedo potentially becoming Lula’s chosen candidate in the state.

As party negotiations continue, voters in Minas Gerais do not appear to have settled on a clear preference either. According to the latest Real Tig Big Data poll released in May, 71% of voters in the state said they did not know who they would support in the spontaneous poll, where respondents are not shown a list of candidates.