It would be disrespectful to the people of Minas Gerais
Lula explicitly avoided criticizing Governor Zema, stating it would be disrespectful to Minas Gerais voters despite backing Kalil's candidacy. Polls show only 41.2% of Lula voters support Kalil, while 34.6% prefer Zema, prompting Lula's campaign visit to Ipatinga.
- Only 41.2% of Lula voters support Kalil; 34.6% prefer incumbent Zema
- Zema leads overall with 52.5% support vs. Kalil's 21.9%
- Campaign rally held in Ipatinga, major industrial center in Minas Gerais
- Lula governed 2003-2010 with opposition governor; seeks aligned partner this time
Presidential candidate Lula campaigned for his ally Kalil in Minas Gerais but declined to criticize incumbent governor Zema, citing respect for the state's voters.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Ipatinga on Friday to ask voters to support his ally Alexandre Kalil for governor of Minas Gerais—but he would not say a harsh word about the man currently holding the job. The presidential candidate was there with Kalil and other party figures, holding a campaign rally in the industrial heart of the state's steel valley. When pressed by reporters about the incumbent governor, Romeu Zema, Lula declined the opening. "I can't go into any Brazilian state and spend my time criticizing its governor when I have no relationship with him," he said. "It wouldn't be fair. It would be disrespectful to the people of Minas Gerais."
The restraint was strategic. Recent polling showed the math was tighter than Lula's campaign would prefer. Among voters who backed Lula, only 41.2 percent said they would vote for Kalil for governor. Nearly a third of Lula's supporters—34.6 percent—preferred Zema instead. Across the broader electorate, Zema held a commanding lead, with 52.5 percent support compared to Kalil's 21.9 percent. Those numbers explained why Lula had made the trip to Ipatinga in person: his endorsement was not automatic currency.
Instead of attacking Zema, Lula framed Kalil as the better choice for what came next. "Kalil has the capacity to be a very accomplished governor here in Minas Gerais, to do more than what's being done," he said. He also made clear why alignment mattered. During his presidency from 2003 to 2010, the governor of Minas Gerais had been Aécio Neves of the opposition PSDB. "If Kalil is elected, we can build an extraordinary partnership," Lula said. "The last time I was president, I governed alongside an opposing governor. I never had the chance to govern with an allied governor. It's very important that Minas elects someone aligned with whoever leads this country."
Lula used the platform in Ipatinga to sound an alarm about Brazil's industrial decline. The city itself was a symbol of what he meant—a major manufacturing center now struggling. "Brazil needs to become an industrialized country again," he said. The numbers told the story: when he left office, industry had represented roughly 30 percent of the nation's economic output. Now it was below 11 percent. Ipatinga, with its steel mills and metalworking plants, embodied that loss.
The candidate made his ask direct. He told Minas voters who planned to vote for him to also vote for Kalil as governor, for Alexandre Silveira for senator, and for his slate of federal and state deputies. Kalil and Silveira stood beside him but said nothing to the press. The stage also held former president Dilma Rousseff, party leaders including Reginaldo Lopes, the PT's floor leader in Congress, and several federal deputies. It was a show of party unity, even if the polling numbers suggested the work of persuasion was far from finished.
Notable Quotes
Kalil has the capacity to be a very accomplished governor here in Minas Gerais, to do more than what's being done.— Lula
It's very important that Minas elects someone aligned with whoever leads this country.— Lula
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why wouldn't Lula just attack Zema directly? Wouldn't that help Kalil?
The polls show why. Zema is popular in Minas—52 percent support. If Lula came in swinging, he'd look like an outsider trying to tell Mineiros what to do. That plays into Zema's hands, not Kalil's.
But Lula's own voters aren't even sold on Kalil. Doesn't that suggest a deeper problem?
It does. Only 41 percent of Lula voters back Kalil. A third prefer Zema. So Lula has to persuade his own base, not attack the other guy. That's a much harder conversation.
What's the real reason Lula cares about having an allied governor?
Control. He governed for eight years with an opposition governor in Minas. He's saying he wants to avoid that friction next time—to actually implement federal policy without fighting the state government.
Is Ipatinga significant beyond just being a campaign stop?
Very. It's the symbol of what Lula is warning about—a major industrial city that's been hollowed out. He's connecting the dots: elect me, elect my ally, and we rebuild this.
Did Kalil's silence hurt or help him?
Hard to say. He was there, visible, aligned with Lula and Rousseff. But he didn't make his own case. That might suggest he's relying entirely on Lula's coattails—which, given the polling, is risky.