Brazil Senate head switches party, eyeing 2022 presidential bid

President of Brazil's Senate Rodrigo Pacheco looks on during his Social Democratic Party membership ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, October 27, 2021. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian Senate leader Rodrigo Pacheco joined the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Wednesday, emerging as the latest presidential hopeful eyeing a tough path down the center of next year's polarized electoral field.

Party leader Gilberto Kassab, who has said the PSD is looking to field its own candidate in 2022, said Pacheco has "great potential" to draw support from Brazilians turned off by both leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.