Senate rejects Lula's Supreme Court pick — first since 1894 — and he renominates the same man
The chamber blocks AGU Jorge Messias 42–34 in a historic rebuke tied to its own president; Lula sends the name back
Summary
On 29 April 2026 the Senate rejected Lula's STF nominee, Solicitor-General Jorge Messias, 42–34 — short of the 41 needed — the first rejection of a Supreme Court pick since 1894. The defeat was tied to Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, who had backed a rival for the seat vacant since Barroso retired in October 2025. On 29 May Lula confirmed he would renominate Messias, calling the rejection "political." With no legal bar to resubmitting the same name, the standoff leaves the Court one justice short while a Lula-aligned bench finalises politically charged cases including the Bolsonaro prosecutions (see STF convicts Eduardo Bolsonaro for lobbying Trump to sanction Brazil's judges).
By the numbers
- 42–34 — Senate vote against Messias (41 needed to confirm).
- 1894 — last prior rejection of a Supreme Court nominee (132 years).
- Oct 2025 — when the seat fell vacant (Barroso's retirement).
Why it matters
The rebuke is a rare assertion of Senate independence against a sitting president and exposes the limits of Lula's congressional coalition. A prolonged vacancy weakens the Court's quorum on high-stakes rulings, and a forced rerun on the same name escalates a personal contest with the chamber's leadership in an election year.
What to watch
- Whether the resubmitted nomination clears the Senate or is blocked again.
- Alcolumbre's posture and any alternative compromise nominee.
- How the missing seat affects pending STF judgments.