Flávio Bolsonaro Takes Father’s Political Mantle Into Brazil Presidential Race

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is seeking to turn his father Jair Bolsonaro’s political legacy into a presidential campaign of his own as Brazil heads toward its October 4 election.

The 45-year-old Liberal Party candidate entered the race after Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, selected him as his political successor. The elder Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest after being convicted over a plot to overturn the 2022 election result, leaving his son to campaign in his place.

Flávio has openly embraced his family name and his father’s support. Reuters reported that Jair Bolsonaro gave his son his blessing to run for president in late 2025, telling him, according to Flávio’s recollection, that it was his turn to carry the political mantle.

The younger Bolsonaro has nevertheless sought to distinguish himself from his father. He has described himself as a “more centered Bolsonaro”, while acknowledging the difficulty of separating his political identity from that of the former president. His campaign has continued to feature references to Jair Bolsonaro, whose support remains important among Brazil’s conservative electorate.

The campaign has faced challenges, including an investigation connected to financing for a film about Jair Bolsonaro. Reuters reported that Brazilian Federal Police opened an investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro over allegations involving corruption, money laundering and illicit capital flight linked to the project. Flávio has rejected wrongdoing and described the investigation as politically motivated.

His campaign has also received support from parts of the international conservative movement. Flávio met U.S. President Donald Trump in May, while Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have also expressed support for his candidacy. At the launch of his campaign in July, an AI-generated message from Jair Bolsonaro was played for supporters.

The election is also being closely watched because Flávio is challenging incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has formally approved the Lula-Alckmin and Flávio Bolsonaro-Alfredo Gaspar tickets among the presidential candidacies registered for the October election.

Recent polling illustrates the competitiveness of the contest without determining its eventual outcome. A Datafolha survey conducted in September put Lula at 39% and Flávio Bolsonaro at 36% in the first round, with the three-point gap within the poll’s two-percentage-point margin of error.

An AtlasIntel/Bloomberg poll conducted from September 17 to 22 likewise showed a close potential runoff, with Lula on 47.7% and Flávio Bolsonaro on 47.4%, within the survey’s one-percentage-point margin of error. The poll surveyed 5,015 people.

The campaign has therefore become a test of how much of Jair Bolsonaro’s political support can be transferred to his son while the former president remains unable to run himself. Reuters reported that Flávio has inherited his father’s political network and loyal base, but has also faced questions over whether he can develop an identity distinct from the former president.

For Flávio Bolsonaro, the election represents an attempt to extend the Bolsonaro movement beyond its founder. For Brazil’s voters, the October 4 vote will determine whether the country continues under Lula or moves toward a new administration led by the former president’s eldest son. If no candidate wins more than half of valid votes, a second round is scheduled for October 25.