PT Strategy in Southern Brazil: Political Shifts and Challenges in Rio Grande do Sul

The national leadership of the Workers’ Party (PT) has decided to abandon its pursuit of a standalone candidacy for the governorship of Rio Grande do Sul in the 2026 elections. Instead, the party will support Juliana Brizola of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT), a move that has triggered a significant internal rebellion within the party’s state directory.

The decision, finalized on April 7, 2026, seeks to secure a progressive alliance by placing Brizola at the top of the ticket. This shift effectively sidelines Edegar Pretto, the PT’s previously nominated pre-candidate. According to reports from GZH, Pretto may now be relegated to the role of vice-governor under Brizola or be forced to run for a seat as a federal deputy.

Internal Rebellion and National Intervention

The mandate from Brasília has been met with fierce resistance from state party leaders, most notably former governor and former PT president Tarso Genro. Genro has characterized the national command’s decision as an intervention and a disrespect to the party’s history and trajectory within Rio Grande do Sul.

Aqui ninguém aceita intervenção. Isso é contra tudo o que construímos até agora e um desrespeito à nossa trajetória

Tarso Genro

Genro has also criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arguing that the president waited too long to decide the party’s position in the state. The former governor contends that the primary issue is not merely regional, but concerns the type of political front necessary to support Lula’s own potential re-election efforts in the state.

Reporting from Folha de S.Paulo indicates that Zé Dirceu played a pivotal role in this shift, reportedly pressuring the PT leadership to move against a standalone candidacy in Rio Grande do Sul to favor the alliance with the PDT.

Polarization and the MST Factor

The struggle for the governorship is being framed by a sharp polarization centered on the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). The PT had initially positioned Edegar Pretto as its candidate to lean into a pro-MST platform. Pretto is the son of Adão Pretto, one of the founders of the MST and a prominent leader in the South. Pretto also served as the head of the National Supply Company (Conab) under the Lula administration starting in 2023.

In contrast, the Liberal Party (PL) has sought to polarize the race with an anti-MST platform. The PL ticket is headed by federal deputy Luciano Zucco, who previously presided over the 2023 Congressional Inquiry Committee (CPI) into the MST and used that platform to attack the movement.

A Quaest survey released in August 2025 showed Zucco in a technical tie for the lead in voting intentions with Juliana Brizola. At the time of that survey, Edegar Pretto trailed both candidates, appearing with 11% of voting intentions.

The Succession of Eduardo Leite

The political maneuvering comes as current governor Eduardo Leite (PSD) prepares his own transition. Leite is expected to run for the Senate and intends to support vice-governor Gabriel Souza (MDB) as his successor for the governorship. However, Leite faces challenges in consolidating a successor, as allies from the PDT and PSDB have also expressed interest in the race.

Juliana Brizola, the PDT candidate now backed by the PT, previously ran for mayor of Porto Alegre in 2024 with the support of Governor Leite. While PT members had approached Brizola earlier to form an alliance for 2026, those conversations initially stalled over disagreements regarding who would occupy the top spot on the ticket.

Broader Strategic Shift in the South

The decision in Rio Grande do Sul is part of a wider strategic retreat for the Workers’ Party in Brazil’s southern region. According to Correio Braziliense, the PT will not field its own candidates for governor in any of the southern states for the 2026 cycle.

This move signals a shift toward building broader progressive coalitions rather than relying on the party’s own brand in regions where it faces strong opposition from the PL and other center-right forces.