After supporting Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the second round, Tebet was appointed Minister of Planning.

In February 2006, private investments in the industrial expansion of Três Lagoas in the last sixty months totaled 1.1 billion reals.

[20] On March 31, 2010, Tebet resigned from the mayor's office to join André Puccinelli's ticket in the election for the government of Mato Grosso do Sul, as a candidate for vice governor.

"[31] She also found multiple translation and formatting errors that the Chief of Staff of the Presidency Onyx Lorenzoni had seemingly ignored, along with cheaper vaccine alternatives like Pfizer and found financial error in the work of Élcio Franco, who is now under investigation by Rosa Weber, a justice of the Supreme Federal Court.

Subsequently, Simone launched a separate candidacy for the position, but ended up withdrawing to increase the chances of a victory for Davi Alcolumbre ( then DEM, now UNIÃO ) over Renan Calheiros, which eventually occurred.

However, the MDB, the party to which Tebet is affiliated, withdrew from the senator's launch to run for office, after signaling the opposing candidate, Rodrigo Pacheco.

Her candidacy was seen as a non-controversial replacement to the failed pre-candidacies of João Doria, Eduardo Leite, and Sergio Moro, being supported by their former aides.

Landau is known for her work in former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's administration and for being part of LIVRES, a social liberal movement.

After talks of some MDB factions with Lula, the party published a note signed by member of 19 states endorsing senator Tebet.

Podemos also joined the coalition, after Sergio Moro left the party, abandoning his precandidacy, to run for senate in Paraná with the Brazil Union.

[45] Simone Tebet presented her government plan on August 15, the last day for candidates to register their candidacy with the Electoral Justice.

The document has 48 pages, where the presidential candidate proposes a permanent minimum income program, tax and administrative reforms and zero tolerance for illegal deforestation.

However, with all her support and the reward of a ministry in the Lula government, many suggest that she is building a platform for a more successful run in 2026, representing a disaffected center.

[51][50] Tebet was announced as Minister of Planning on December 27, 2022, after André Lara Resende, a member of the transition team, rejected the position.

"Investors had expected a market-friendly person to get the position, but markets will welcome Tebet," said analyst Lucas de Aragao of Arko Advice consultancy in Brasilia.

[54] It was reported that Tebet desired the Ministry of Social Development, which would have allowed a large public profile to control the allocation of the Bolsa Família/Auxílio Brasil program.

[56] Eventually after considering the position of Minister of Cities and of Agriculture, Lula decided to give her the Ministry of Planning and Budget, just before his inauguration on January 1.

The previous head of IBGE Eduardo Luiz Gonçalves Rios Neto had not completed the 2022 census by the end of 2022.

[59][60] The IBGE carried out a survey of indigenous lands during Tebet's tenure, after the recognition of the Yanomami humanitarian crisis caused by illegal logging and mining.

The Buenos Aires Times reported that Pochmann’s leftist economic views are considered "too extreme even by members of Lula’s economic team, who worry about damage to IBGE’s credibility...after Pochmann’s years at IPEA, [which] were controversial and caused several economists who did not agree with him to leave the organisation.

"[66][67] Roberto Campos Neto, the President of the Central Bank of Brazil appointed by Jair Bolsonaro, was criticized by various allies of the Lula government for not lowering interest rates.

Tebet argued that tax reform could bring the budget deficit to zero, increasing GDP which would "guarantee Brazil's sustainable and lasting growth.

Tebet supported the policy of Fernando Haddad in maintaining a zero deficit to raise confidence in market for the governments other spending.

She has lamented the classification of feminism as a leftist movement, saying in the SBT debate to Padre Kelmon, a priest and candidate of the PTB, that:[78][79] My concept of a feminist is very different from yours.

[47] Given Mato Grosso do Sul's deep involvement with Brazil's agricultural economy, Tebet has frequently been an activist for agribusiness.

In a visit to Montes Claros, she said that "All regions have conditions to be fertile, to produce, to generate employment and income, the north of Minas is no different.

What is lacking is the political will to definitively bring a large irrigation project so that the region can produce the fruits and export, generate employment and income, finishing the dams and guaranteeing dignity for its people.

"[83] Tebet has advocated for further irrigation into northern regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, where continued runoff is polluting the Amazon, and said "food needs to arrive faster and cheaper".

Tebet also advocated for reduced protections for indigenous land, arguing such regulation infringe on farmers' right to farm.

"[81][10] She has said that she wants a "zero tolerance policy" for illegal deforestation and advocated for increases in funding in Brazil's Northeast to produce solar and wind power on unused coasts and plains.