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Jair Bolsonaro is not on Brazil’s 2026 presidential ballot, but he remains central to the race. The former president has endorsed his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, as the Liberal Party (PL) pre-candidate, turning the family name into the main organizing force of the Brazilian right.
The endorsement matters because Bolsonaro is barred from running after rulings by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the country’s top electoral court. G1 reported in December 2025 that Bolsonaro confirmed Flávio’s pre-candidacy in a handwritten letter read outside a Brasília hospital, where the former president was preparing for hernia surgery.
The Family Transfer
In the letter cited by G1, Bolsonaro said he had decided to indicate Flávio as a 2026 pre-candidate “to preserve the representation” of those who had trusted him. Flávio said the document reinforced his candidacy for allies who still doubted that his father had fully chosen him.
That decision followed months of competition inside the right over who would inherit Bolsonaro’s political capital. G1 noted that São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, of Republicanos, had been one of the names considered by allies.
Gazeta do Povo columnist Sílvio Ribas argued that Bolsonaro’s influence has survived despite severe restrictions on his public communication. The column said Bolsonaro had been kept away from streets, social media and direct contact with supporters for 10 months, under measures imposed by STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and that slogans and symbols linked to him continued to circulate through supporters and parallel channels.
Flávio’s Early Message
In an interview described by Jovem Pan News, Flávio Bolsonaro presented himself as a candidate trying to build a broader coalition. He praised Senator Rogério Marinho, who is coordinating his campaign, and criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government over taxation and public spending.
Flávio also said a woman could be an “interesting” profile for the vice-presidential slot, especially someone with experience, business credentials and the ability to add value to the ticket. Jovem Pan analysts discussed names including Senator Tereza Cristina, a former agriculture minister under Bolsonaro, and other women linked to Catholic or evangelical constituencies.
The same interview touched on two themes likely to shape the campaign: an amnesty bill for people punished over the political crisis around Bolsonaro, and pressure on STF justices. Flávio said Congress should analyze an amnesty proposal with more calm after the election and argued that Supreme Court ministers who violate the law should be held accountable.
Trump Photo, Poll Pressure
Flávio has also tried to project international relevance. Terra reported that he traveled to Washington and met U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on May 26, 2026. Gazeta do Povo said Flávio and his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro were received by Trump despite holding no official Brazilian government posts.
Terra placed the trip in a difficult moment for Flávio’s pre-campaign. The outlet reported that Datafolha polling released on May 22 showed him falling from 35% to 31% in first-round voting intentions and from 45% to 43% in a hypothetical runoff against Lula. In the same poll, Lula rose from 38% to 40% in the first round and from 45% to 47% in the runoff.
Terra also reported that the trip came after the release of audio in which Flávio allegedly asked banker Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, for money. The article said PL president Valdemar Costa Neto reaffirmed support for Flávio and ruled out seeking another presidential name.
The result is a campaign defined by inheritance and constraint. Jair Bolsonaro cannot run, but his endorsement still moves the right. Flávio Bolsonaro now has to prove that the family brand can mobilize loyalists while also reaching voters who rejected his father in 2022.