The PSD, the party of former minister Gilberto Kassab, is trying to increase its bench in the Federal Senate in light of the fiasco in the last elections, in which only two senators were elected.
The party currently has the second largest bench in the Senate, with 13 members, but, starting next year, the number tends to drop to 3.
The drop also contrasts with the outstanding position of three years ago, when the party surpassed the PL in the number of senators (15 against 13) and had control of the presidency of the Senate, with Rodrigo Pacheco, now minister of the TCU (Federal Audit Court).
The size of the bench is important to the parties as it gives them control of the Senate committees, which will be redistributed next year. It was precisely because it had the second largest number of senators that the PSD achieved the presidency of the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission), the most important in the House, and of the Foreign Relations Commission in the 2025-2026 biennium.
Furthermore, the Senate's internal regulations determine that the party must have at least three senators to nominate a leader and obtain an extra cabinet. The structure gives the bench 12 commissioned positions and an additional driver — a number that could even be higher, since the sum of salaries is usually divided into smaller amounts.
Of the 54 Senate seats up for grabs this year, the PSD won only two: one in Piauí, with the victory of federal deputy Júlio César, and another in Amapá, with the re-election of senator Lucas Barreto. In 2027, the two will join Otto Alencar, from Bahia, who is halfway through his term.
The bench is also expected to shrink because government officials already take for granted the return of the Minister of Regional Development, Wellington Dias (PT-PI), to the Senate, taking away the vacancy currently occupied by substitute Jussara Lima (PSD-PI).
PSD members have been talking about the need for membership in a private manner, but admit that at least three senators are in their sights: Rayssa Furlan (Podemos-AP) and Gracinha Caiado (União Brasil-GO), recently elected, and Cheila Moreira (PT-AM), substitute for senator Omar Aziz (PSD-AM), elected governor of Amazonas.
People who follow the movement claim that Cheila was invited by Aziz and Kassab during the elections. The reporter contacted Cheila this Thursday (12) by phone and text message, but there was no response.
PT members see the possibility of change as unlikely and say that Cheila contacted the party's bench in the Senate after Aziz's victory. They also emphasize that the future senator is a member of the party and was elected councilor of Itacoatiara (AM) three times for the PT.
Both Rayssa's husband and Gracinha's husband are in the PSD. Rayssa is the wife of the mayor of Macapá and elected governor of Amapá, Dr. Furlan. Gracinha is married to the former governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado, a defeated candidate for president.
Rayssa was contacted, but did not want to speak out.
The report was unable to contact Gracinha. People close to the former first lady claim that she is president of the União Progressista federation in Goiás and has a good relationship with the national directory. Furthermore, they say it could be advantageous for the couple to be in control of different parties — Caiado is president of the PSD in the state.
The PSD press office was questioned by the report this Thursday, but there was no response until the publication of this text.
The shrinking of the PSD bench also fueled speculation about the situation of re-elected senator Eduardo Gomes (PL-TO), vice-president of the Senate, following his meeting with Kassab at the beginning of the month.
Gomes has said, since then, that he never considered leaving the PL and that he received the full support of the party's president, Valdemar Costa Neto, during the elections. When questioned, the senator's press office stated that he will not leave the PL and that any change of party is completely ruled out.
