Lula Pushes Márcio França as Haddad’s Running Mate in São Paulo

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is pressing allies to place Márcio França, a former São Paulo governor from the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), as the running mate of Fernando Haddad in the 2026 São Paulo governor’s race, according to reporting by O Globo, Estadão and Jovem Pan.

The plan remains unresolved because the PSB still wants França to run for one of São Paulo’s two Senate seats. Haddad, a former São Paulo mayor and Lula ally from the Workers’ Party (PT), wants the slate settled in early June, before his campaign presents its government program in July.

The Senate Bottleneck

The dispute centers on a basic arithmetic problem. Lula’s left-wing and center-left coalition has more high-profile names than open Senate slots in São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state and its largest economy.

The names under discussion are França; Simone Tebet, a former planning minister who moved to the PSB; and Marina Silva, the former environment minister and presidential candidate from Rede, a small environmentalist party. O Globo reported that Lula recently appeared at events in São Paulo with Tebet and Silva and urged an audience of motorcycle couriers and union members to “one day” vote for both women.

Silva’s campaign read the remark as a strong political gesture in favor of her Senate bid. França’s allies played down the episode.

Marina Silva said Friday that the talks were narrowing and should reach a result through dialogue within the coalition. “We have advanced on the timetable and want to finish this discussion by, at most, the first week of the month,” she said, according to O Globo.

What the PSB Wants

The PSB’s national leadership has treated França’s Senate candidacy as a priority alongside Tebet’s. Estadão reported that party leaders argue Tebet joined the PSB at Lula’s request and that França, a longtime party figure, should not be left aside as a result.

França has publicly argued for a gender-balanced ticket. In a May interview with RedeTV, cited by Gazeta do Povo, he said Haddad should have a female running mate and that the coalition should pair “a governor with a female vice-governor and a senator with a female senator.”

“Both Marina and Simone are very prepared people, women, ministers, who have already run for president,” França said, according to Gazeta do Povo.

Estadão reported that Lula was expected to speak directly with França about the vice-governor slot. França, through his press office, told the newspaper that the PSB “does not seek compensation” and would do what is best for Lula’s reelection effort and for the Lula-Alckmin ticket.

Why São Paulo Matters

São Paulo is a difficult prize for the PT. The current governor, Tarcísio de Freitas of Republicanos, a conservative party, is expected to seek reelection with his current deputy, Felício Ramuth of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), according to Gazeta do Povo.

Haddad’s camp wants to avoid scattering votes across too many allied Senate candidacies. O Globo reported that Haddad’s preferred outcome is a slate with only two Senate candidates, rather than three progressive names competing for the same electorate.

The choice also involves electoral geography. França is seen by allies as a centrist figure with roots in São Paulo politics, especially outside the capital. Marina’s allies argue she would bring broader pluralism to the ticket and point to polls in which she appears ahead, though O Globo reported that she also faces higher rejection.

There is also a legal question in the background. Estadão reported that Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has yet to decide whether parties in the same gubernatorial coalition may launch separate Senate bids in a race with two seats available. The answer could shape how much room the PSB and Lula’s wider alliance have to maneuver.