Romeu Zema denies rumors of withdrawal and maintains presidential campaign with low performance in the polls

At the head of a lackluster campaign, the presidential candidate for Novo, Romeu Zema, had to publicly refute rumors that he would withdraw from the race in the week before the first round of elections.

With no sign of reaction in the electoral polls, the former governor of Minas Gerais scored 1% of voting intentions in a Datafolha survey released this Thursday (1st), dropping one percentage point compared to the survey at the beginning of September.

On Tuesday (29), Zema called the possibility of withdrawing from the presidential race and declaring support for Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) fake news. “Everything in my life I took to the end,” he said in an interview.

The rumors gained strength after his party's candidate for the Senate in São Paulo, Ricardo Salles, announced his withdrawal on Monday (28).

Since the beginning of the presidential race, Zema has faced difficulties in obtaining support in Minas Gerais, the state where he had his political career and which he governed until March of this year. Having difficulty growing in the polls and attracting alliances, he turned to Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), a fellow party member, announcing him as vice-president in the formation of a pure ticket.

Throughout the campaign, the former governor focused on attacking ministers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), whom he refers to as "the untouchables". The term was used as a repeated catchphrase in interviews and during election hours.

The candidate also attacked the Judiciary to take a stand against the cancellation of the debate between presidential candidates on TV Globo, last Thursday (1st). "The Brazilian Judiciary has become a mess, with total disrespect for those who follow the laws," he said.

This Saturday (3), the day before the first round, Zema had no public campaign commitment and dedicated the day to posting motivational phrases on social media, as well as photos alongside family members. On his official channels, he shared the moment he had coffee and wished him a "great weekend", without mentioning the candidacy.

The presidential candidate told his followers that he was in Araxá, a city in the Triângulo Mineiro, where he visited his barber and planned to have lunch with his parents, "who I haven't seen in almost 60 days." “Then I want to rest at home and work out in the late afternoon,” he continued.

A preliminary accounting provided by the Electoral Court shows that Zema's candidacy raised R$5.4 million, of which around R$4.2 million was spent.