Several other challengers, such as ItamarFranco, Mr Cardoso's quirky predecessor, and Ciro Gomes, a soft-left former state governor, seem to be fading.
ItamarFranco, who, as a stand-in, preceded Mr Cardoso in the presidency and wishes he were still in it, has stopped paying most of what his state, Minas Gerais, owes to Brasilia.