Aécio Neves Resumes Senate Bid Talks After PDT, PSDB Appeal

After four decades in elected office, PSDB national president Aécio Neves is reportedly reconsidering a run for the Senate representing Minas Gerais. The decision, expected by Friday, comes after a joint appeal from the PDT and the PSDB-Cidadania federation in Minas Gerais.

The appeal followed the PDT's withdrawal of its own Senate candidate, Marcelo Heringer, who had polled only 1%. The PDT and the PSDB-Cidadania federation issued a joint statement urging Neves to "reconsider his decision and accept to run again for a seat in the Federal Senate."

According to Neves's office, he has been in contact with Alexandre Kalil, the PDT's candidate for governor of Minas Gerais, whom the federation supports. The parties cited a need for representation in the Senate with "political weight and the capacity for dialogue" to address the state's issues, including its debt.

Parties and federations have until September 14, 20 days before the first round of elections, to request the substitution of candidates for major and proportional positions. This requires the original candidate to renounce their candidacy or be declared ineligible by the Electoral Justice.