Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to quickly resubmit a Supreme Court nominee after the Senate rejected his first choice — the first such rebuff in 132 years. Lula intends to nominate a woman next, a move aimed at making another rejection politically costly. The dispute highlights broader stakes ahead of the October election, since an incoming president could appoint multiple justices and reshape the court's balance. Senior senators remain divided over whether to act now or wait until after the vote.
Lula To Resubmit Supreme Court Nominee After Historic Senate Rejection, Plans To Nominate Woman
FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a joint press statement with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo
BRASILIA, April 30 (Reuters) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to quickly resubmit a nominee to the Supreme Court after the Senate rejected his initial choice, two people familiar with his thinking told Reuters. The setback was the first time in 132 years that Congress has turned down a presidential high-court pick, highlighting intensifying political tensions ahead of the October general election.
The rejected candidate, Solicitor General Jorge Messias, faced opposition from a conservative-leaning Senate that has pushed back against what some lawmakers describe as an effort to add political allies to the court. Lula successfully installed two other allies earlier this year, fueling critics' concerns about the judiciary's balance.
What Is At Stake
Some right‑wing leaders argued the Senate should defer the appointment until the next president takes office in January, a stance likened by observers to the 2016 U.S. precedent when the Republican-controlled Congress declined to consider a Supreme Court nominee before an election. If the Senate delays, the incoming president could potentially appoint multiple justices and shift the court's ideological balance.
"The next nominee to the Supreme Court should be defined after the elections, with legitimacy and new criteria," Senator Rogerio Marinho wrote on X.
According to two people briefed on Lula's plans, the president intends to nominate a woman next, a strategic move designed to raise the political cost of another rejection as voters pay closer attention. Brazil's Supreme Court currently has only one woman among 11 justices, and Justice Carmen Lúcia is expected to retire in 2029.
One person close to Lula told Reuters there is no point in waiting and risking the inability to make an appointment after the election. "If the Senate chooses not to vote, the responsibility lies with them," the source said.
At the same time, some in Lula's inner circle urged caution to avoid a second public defeat. Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, the government's leader in the Senate, defended the president's authority to submit a nominee: "I believe that the president should exercise his authority to submit a nominee, whether a man or a woman."
Political Context
The rejection compounds uncertainty as Lula, who is expected to seek a fourth non-consecutive term, faces a tightening race in some polls against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Two of the current 11 justices were appointed by Bolsonaro, underscoring how court appointments could shape Brazil's judiciary for years.
Observers say the next weeks will be closely watched in Brasilia as the administration decides whether to press ahead with a new nomination and how senators will respond ahead of the election season.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; writing by Manuela Andreoni; editing by Alistair Bell)
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