Ricardo Salles has withdrawn from the race for one of São Paulo’s two Senate seats, endorsing André do Prado of the PL and Guilherme Derrite of the PP. Appearing alongside Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, Salles said personal differences had to yield to a larger political goal, warning that the prospect of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election posed a serious risk. “Personal issues, differing opinions — all of that becomes smaller before a greater objective,” he said.¹

For Salles, Freitas and their supporters, the decision is presented as an attempt to prevent a split vote from helping the candidates backed by Lula’s allies, Simone Tebet and Marina Silva. Freitas called the agreement “an important arrangement for the candidacies of our camp,” arguing that Salles had stepped aside to help secure both seats.¹ Commentator Rodrigo Constantino echoed that view on X, calling Salles’s move significant and urging other politicians to follow suit: “Everyone against the PT!”Rodrigo Constantino (Rconstantino)²

A contrasting account stresses that the withdrawal follows a campaign in which Salles had trailed both his new allies and the two centre-left candidates in cited Datafolha and Quaest surveys. One Datafolha poll put Marina Silva at 15%, Tebet at 14%, Derrite and do Prado at 12% each, and Salles at 4%.³

That account also points to the strains behind the new alignment. Salles had previously argued that do Prado did not represent the right, citing the candidate’s dealings with PT figures during his re-election as president of São Paulo’s state assembly.³ Paulo Figueiredo nevertheless praised Salles’s decision on X as the “correct” choice and said it should inspire others in what he described as a grave moment.Paulo Figueiredo (8) (pfigueiredo08)⁴

The competing readings agree on the immediate result — two candidates now share Salles’s support — but differ over whether it represents strategic discipline or an acknowledgment that his candidacy had failed to gain traction.