Pernambuco Governor Raquel Lyra Faces Reduced TV Time as PSDB/Cidadania Federation Withdraws Support

The PSDB/Cidadania Federation has formally requested the Electoral Justice to withdraw its support from Pernambuco Governor Raquel Lyra's re-election bid. In a document filed Tuesday evening, the federation declared its prior support, given at a state convention, to be null and void. The party's justification hinges on the assertion that its local chapter had already been dissolved at the time of the convention, thus invalidating the decision.

"The PSDB/Cidadania Federation will not join a majority coalition in the state of Pernambuco for the positions of Governor, Vice-Governor, and Senator in the 2026 General Elections, maintaining a position of political-party neutrality," the petition states. Less than an hour later, the PSB also filed a lawsuit with the Regional Electoral Court of Pernambuco (TRE-PE) to prevent the PSDB/Cidadania Federation from being counted in the distribution of free electoral airtime.

The urgency stems from the upcoming deadline on Friday (21st), when the airtime allocated to each candidate on radio and television, as well as the broadcast order and insertion distribution, will be determined. Without the federation in its coalition, Lyra's campaign stands to lose valuable propaganda time. While official calculations are pending, campaign insiders anticipate a loss of approximately 20 to 30 seconds. Currently, João Campos has only slightly more airtime than Lyra. Reports indicate that João Campos has secured alliances with at least 10 parties, while Lyra's campaign has the support of four.

Behind the scenes, sources suggest a deal was struck between federation president Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG) and João Campos to ensure Lyra does not gain an advantage in airtime. Despite the party's official declaration of neutrality, a statement released Wednesday by the PSDB/Cidadania Federation asserted that the decision was made to protect its federal deputy candidates. However, the statement reiterated its support for Lyra's re-election, effectively freeing PSDB candidates to campaign alongside the governor while the party formally withdraws its coalition support, thereby reducing Lyra's TV time.

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A Federação PSDB/Cidadania não integrará, no Estado de Pernambuco, coligação majoritária para os cargos de Governador, Vice-Governador e Senador nas Eleições Gerais de 2026, mantendo posição de neutralidade político partidária