Brazil’s Mission party, which is backing Renan Santos for president, plans to establish its own campaign structure in every state, even where it does not field a candidate for governor, according to CNN Brasil. The party also says it intends to run 450 candidates for Brazil’s federal and state legislatures.
The strategy would give Santos a local political presence across the country as he seeks the presidency. In Brazilian political language, a “palanque” refers to a local campaign platform or network of candidates supporting a national ticket.
Nine Governor Candidates
The party currently expects to have nine candidates for governor:
- Luiz França in Paraná
- Marcelo Brigadeiro in Santa Catarina
- Colonel Busnelo in Rio de Janeiro
- Breno Barcelos in Espírito Santo
- Ben Mendes in Minas Gerais
- Renan in Pernambuco
- Delegate Hugo in Ceará
- André Luis in Maranhão
- Rafael Milas in Mato Grosso
Mission is also preparing two Senate candidates: Hélio Seco in Rio de Janeiro and Engenheiro Túlio in Rondônia. The party is still considering whether to field its own candidate for governor of São Paulo.
In other states, Mission plans to support what it considers competitive candidacies. CNN Brasil cited the expected reelection campaign of federal lawmaker Kim Kataguiri in São Paulo as one potential foundation for Santos’s presidential operation.
Rejected Alliances
Mission’s national convention, where Santos is expected to be formally nominated for president, is scheduled for July 31. Campaign sources told CNN Brasil that other parties had approached Mission about forming an alliance, but that the party rejected those proposals.
The party also rejects describing Santos’s campaign as an “outsider” candidacy, although it acknowledges its confrontational character. It likewise rejects the label “third-way” campaign. Santos identifies as a right-wing candidate, according to the report.
Mission considers Flávio Bolsonaro, a politician from the Liberal Party (PL), to be associated with Brazil’s political center rather than with the right. That assessment reflects the party’s effort to distinguish its platform from other conservative or right-leaning presidential options.
The plans remain subject to change as the election cycle develops. Based on single-source reporting from CNN Brasil, the party’s current projections describe an extensive national structure but do not establish how many of its candidates will ultimately qualify, remain on the ballot or win office.