With a date set for joining the PT, Anielle is considered to be Paes’ vice-president

The date for the affiliation of the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, to the Workers’ Party (PT) has already been set. According to the newspaper The globe, the event should take place on February 23rd. Anielle had already signaled her affiliation with Lula’s party at the beginning of the year.

The minister’s move to the party has intensified the internal dispute in Rio de Janeiro’s PT, as Anielle has been tipped to run as vice-president on the ticket of the capital’s mayor, Eduardo Paes (PSD), who is trying to be re-elected this year, however , the minister would be more interested in running for a seat in the Senate, in 2026.

It turns out that there are already older PT names from RJ working for the Senate race and there is still no agreement with Paes’ party on a PT nomination for the vice name.

To gain party support for her candidacy for the Senate, Anielle needs to unseat the president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur), Marcelo Freixo; the current mayor of Maricá (RJ), Fabiano Horta; federal deputy Lindbergh Farias; and the national secretary of the Ministry of Institutional Relations, André Ceciliano.

Of the four, Freixo is the one with the least amount of time and, in a way, faces the same challenge as Anielle.

In 2026, Fabiano Horta should receive the support of the national vice-president of the PT, federal deputy Washington Quaquá, to run for the Senate for the party. This year, Quaquá is trying to return to City Hall. Quaquá was succeeded by party colleague, Fabiano Horta, in Maricá city hall, in 2017.

Very combative in defending the PT’s agenda and the party’s highlight in the Chamber, federal deputy Lindbergh Farias is also running for the Senate.

André Ceciliano is seen as a good option for the party both to run for the Senate and to occupy the vice candidacy on Paes’ ticket this year.