Ronaldo Caiado, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) pre-candidate for Brazil’s presidency, plans to seek support from Ciro Gomes after the veteran Ceará politician publicly described him as a possible vote choice, according to single-source reporting from CNN Brasil.
Caiado, a former governor of Goiás, told CNN he intends to contact Ciro soon, though he said his immediate focus is the PSD’s national convention, scheduled for Sunday, July 26. The party is expected to formalize his position as a presidential pre-candidate at that event.
A Signal From Ciro
Ciro Gomes, a pre-candidate for governor of Ceará for the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), said on Saturday, July 18, that both Caiado and Renan Santos, of the Missão movement, were “good possibilities” for his vote.
“I, for example, get along very well with Ronaldo Caiado. I would vote for him without any difficulty,” Ciro said, according to CNN Brasil. He added that he was following Renan Santos, whom he described as young but someone who “is saying very true things,” while noting that there were “exaggerations here and there.”
Ciro also said any decision would have to be made collectively, suggesting that his personal preference does not automatically define the PSDB’s national position. Caiado said he would look for him after dealing with the PSD convention.
PSDB’s Open Choice
The PSDB, a once-dominant center-right party in Brazilian presidential politics, has not yet settled its 2026 path. CNN reported that party figures are still working behind the scenes with the possibility of an alliance with the Liberal Party (PL), the party of presidential pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
Ciro has repeatedly opposed that move, according to the report. His remarks therefore matter less as a formal endorsement than as a signal inside a party still deciding whether to back a candidate from another political group or try to preserve a distinct lane in the presidential race.
The PSDB had initially considered launching federal deputy Aécio Neves, from Minas Gerais, as its presidential candidate. Aécio later withdrew from consideration, leaving the party without a clear name of its own for the Planalto Palace, the seat of Brazil’s executive branch and a shorthand for the presidency.
Why It Matters
Caiado’s outreach reflects a broader scramble for alliances among parties outside the main poles of Brazilian presidential politics. The PSD’s decision to put Caiado forward has already positioned the party away from a more diffuse “third way” project, while the PSDB’s next move could affect how much room remains for alternative candidacies.
For now, the development is preliminary. CNN Brasil reports Caiado’s intent to speak with Ciro and Ciro’s favorable comment about him, but no formal alliance has been announced. The next concrete marker is the PSD convention on July 26, where Caiado’s pre-candidacy is expected to gain party backing.