Haddad downplays SP defeat impact on 2026 presidential bid

Brazilian Finance Minister and presidential hopeful Fernando Haddad downplays the impact of a likely first-round defeat in São Paulo's gubernatorial race on his national ambitions. Polls show Governor Tarcísio de Freitas with a wide lead, potentially winning outright. This signals a setback for Haddad's political capital ahead of the presidential election, though he frames it as non-decisive.