Senate opposition pushes public vote to block Alcolumbre reelection

Senate opposition leader Rogério Marinho of the PL party wants right-wing lawmakers to make their votes public in the February 1, 2027 election for Senate president. The proposal aims to stop senators backed by bolsonarismo from secretly supporting Davi Alcolumbre’s reelection. Marinho said it is difficult to publicly justify voting for Alcolumbre.

The PL will meet on Wednesday, November 4, to decide its strategy for the Senate leadership dispute. One option is to field Marinho, who ran for the post in 2023. Senator Tereza Cristina of the PP has also expressed interest in running.

“I will defend it. It is difficult to justify in public the vote for Alcolumbre, right?”

Inside the PL, there is no consensus on the best approach. Some members prefer negotiating with Alcolumbre after Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential defeat to preserve influence in the Senate. Others argue the new chamber composition favors an opposition candidate.

The PL will hold 29 senators in the next legislature, and Novo will have three, giving the two parties 32 seats combined. Republicans, PP, Podemos, and PSDB will add another 15 senators, most elected with bolsonarismo support. Together these groups reach 47 seats, above the 41 votes needed to elect the president of the 81-member Senate.

PP senators are unhappy about attacks on Tereza Cristina, allegedly by bolsonaristas through banners and social media, urging her to drop out. She and Marinho have an agreement for a single opposition candidacy but have not decided who should run. The less viable candidate is expected to withdraw in January.

The PP holds six votes in the next legislature and could be decisive, balancing between Lula’s government base and the opposition. Two PP votes are seen as certain for Alcolumbre, two for the opposition, and two remain undecided due to pressure from their electoral bases, personal ties to the Senate president, and uncertainty over the candidates.

Alcolumbre is intensifying political maneuvering to stay in command for two more years. He is negotiating over offices, administrative posts, and budget resources, and has held talks with parliamentarians elected in October. The strategy also involves interests of Lula’s government, the Centrão, and members of the Supreme Federal Court.