The Liberal Party will field a single-party ticket in Rio de Janeiro after allied party dropouts left only internal candidates on Tuesday. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who is also running for president, confirmed Federal Deputy Carlos Jordy as the party's second candidate for the Senate in the state.
Carlos Jordy will join Senator Carlos Portinho in competing for the two seats in the Senate. Meanwhile, Niterói city councilor Fernanda Louback was selected as the vice-gubernatorial candidate on the state ticket headed by Douglas Ruas, the president of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro.
Fernanda Louback was previously slated to run for state deputy. The Liberal Party selected her after negotiations failed with the PP party, which considered nominating former Nova Iguaçu mayor Rogério Lisboa as running mate before talks collapsed. The PP and União Brasil federation ultimately chose neutrality.
Candidate withdrawals and replacements
The internal lineup follows multiple withdrawals by key figures. In May, former governor Cláudio Castro withdrew his Senate pre-candidacy following Federal Police operations into suspected links with businessman Ricardo Magro and former Banco Master banker Daniel Vorcaro. Cláudio Castro also faced candidacy hurdles after the Superior Electoral Court declared him ineligible. Carlos Portinho replaced him in the race.
On Monday, former deputy Márcio Canella of União Brasil announced his exit from the Senate election after a Federal Police investigation into money laundering at gas stations. Márcio Canella will instead seek another term in the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, with Carlos Jordy stepping into his Senate spot.
The single-party slate in the birthplace of the movement led by former president Jair Bolsonaro highlights Flávio Bolsonaro's challenges in broadening his electoral coalition. Resistance from party leaders to formally join his presidential campaign has led the Liberal Party to prioritize internal tickets and regional agreements, preserving the party platform without a broader national alliance.
