Story
Oct 6, 2026

Caiado’s backing gives Flávio Bolsonaro a high-profile boost in Goiás

Caiado and Daniel Vilela are positioning Goiás behind Flávio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff, while Lula’s campaign is concentrating on its Brasília operation. The planned endorsement highlights a personal regional alliance rather than a formal nationwide decision by Caiado’s party.

Flávio Bolsonaro is scheduled to travel from Brasília to Goiânia for a meeting expected to turn Ronaldo Caiado’s support into a public show of force ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff. Reporting on the candidates’ agendas says Caiado is due to “officially announce his support” during a joint appearance at 2:30 p.m., with Goiás Governor Daniel Vilela also expected to attend.

The contrast is clear in the day’s campaign plans. While Flávio seeks an endorsement from a prominent Goiás political figure, Lula is remaining in Brasília for meetings with campaign staff and political leaders. Both candidates advanced from the first round: Flávio led with 47.03% of valid votes, while Lula received 45.16%, according to the account of the planned Goiânia event.

For Caiado, the move carries added political context. He finished fifth in the first round with 2.18% of valid votes, or about 2.6 million votes, and had previously opposed Lula while also questioning whether Flávio could defeat him in a runoff. The endorsement therefore signals a choice in the final round, rather than an unqualified alignment throughout the campaign.

It is also an individual decision: the PSD’s national leadership has adopted neutrality and allowed members and state branches to decide their own positions. Vilela’s participation gives the event a broader Goiás dimension, although it does not change that party-wide stance.

Supporters are already framing the contest in regional terms. Allan Dos Santos urged Bahia voters to join the effort, writing: “Come on, Bahia! It’s Flávio 22!”