Former STF minister Joaquim Barbosa informed the Democracia Cristã party that he will not run for president in the 2026 elections.
Barbosa sent a message this week to party president João Caldas formalizing his decision. He had joined the DC in April and conditioned a possible candidacy on voter receptivity and obtaining structure, including TV time through alliances.
Internal party polls indicated growth potential, but his name appeared with only 1% in a Datafolha survey released in June. The DC did not secure alliances or provide resources to make the pre-campaign viable.
The deadline for party conventions to select candidates begins on the 20th and ends on August 5. Barbosa's entry into the DC caused an internal crisis, with former deputy Aldo Rebelo being expelled after criticizing the move and later reinstated by court order.
