PDT has formally backed Senator Leila do Vôlei for another term in Brazil’s Federal Senate, pairing a local-issues campaign with an unresolved effort to forge a broad political alliance in the Federal District.

Accounts of the party convention agree on the central decision: Leila’s Senate candidacy was confirmed alongside PDT slates for the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal District Legislative Chamber. They differ mainly in emphasis. One account casts the convention as part of a wider progressive effort to avoid another fragmented race for the Federal District government; the other focuses on Leila’s intention to steer clear of ideological confrontation.

Leila said the party would not remain on the sidelines of the gubernatorial contest, presenting PDT as a broker for a shared ticket. “PDT will not be neutral in this election. We will be the bridge for building a unified candidacy for the Government of the Federal District.”¹ She argued that unity is essential after divisions in the previous two elections, with the party seeking an agreement among progressive groups before deciding whom to support.

Her policy message, however, was framed around daily pressures in Brasília: strained social assistance, hospital queues, public transport, domestic violence and the financial situation at BRB. “That is what we need to talk about,” she said, accusing opponents of trying to divert the debate.¹

The more campaign-focused account underscores the same local orientation but contrasts it with ideological disputes, including an indirect reference to rival Michelle Bolsonaro of the PL. “We have to enter the debate to deal with Brasília,” Leila said. “We are not here, at this moment, to wage an ideological war.”²

PDT regional president Peniel Pacheco said negotiations with other parties would continue. The party hopes to settle on a broad front quickly, while keeping its immediate electoral goal clear: retain Leila’s Senate seat and expand its representation in Brasília’s legislatures.¹