Flavio Bolsonaro announced Friday that his father, Brazil’s jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, has chosen him to lead the country’s influential conservative movement—reshaping the landscape of the 2026 presidential race.
The 44-year-old senator revealed on social media that he will assume the mantle of his father’s political legacy, one that dramatically transformed Brazil’s national debate. With that declaration, Flavio instantly emerges as a serious contender for the presidency.
Jair Bolsonaro, 70, is highly unlikely to run after receiving a 27-year sentence for allegedly plotting a coup and being barred from holding public office.
He is currently appealing the conviction and seeking a legislative pardon. His capacity to return to politics is further clouded by persistent health complications, from lingering effects of a 2018 stabbing to a recent skin cancer diagnosis.
Friday’s announcement marks a symbolic passing of the torch at a critical moment for South America’s largest democracy. Flavio Bolsonaro, described by Liberal Party lower-house leader Luciano Zucco as “a balanced politician, experienced and prepared for dialogue,” will now attempt to unify the conservative base—and face off not only against other right-wing hopefuls but possibly against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the 80-year-old leftist who has signaled interest in a fourth term.
“It is with a profound sense of responsibility that I confirm the decision of Jair Messias Bolsonaro to entrust me with the mission of continuing our national project,” Flavio wrote on X, sharing a photo of himself kissing his father on the head. “I will not stand idle while families lose hope and democracy is crumbling.”
A senator from Rio de Janeiro, Flavio has built a reputation as a tough-on-crime conservative. He once urged the United States to bomb drug-smuggling boats off Rio’s coast—remarks that drew international attention.
The choice of successor ends months of speculation. Jair Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle and his son Eduardo—who has close ties to former U.S. president Donald Trump’s family—were both considered likely heirs to the movement. On Friday, however, both appeared to acknowledge Flavio as the new standard-bearer.
Flavio, the son from Bolsonaro’s previous marriage, has occasionally clashed with Michelle, but she offered a conciliatory blessing online: “May the Lord give you wisdom, strength, and grace… for the good of our nation.”
Two other Bolsonaro sons, Carlos and Jair Renan, serve as city councilors. Liberal Party president Valdemar Costa Neto celebrated the announcement, writing, “Flavio told me our captain has confirmed his pre-candidacy. If Bolsonaro said so, that’s all there is to it!”
Throughout Jair Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, Flavio remained steadfastly loyal. He is widely seen as more measured and articulate than his fiery brothers, Eduardo and Carlos, who often employ combative rhetoric on social media.
Financial markets, however, reacted nervously to his rise. Brazil’s main stock index plunged 4.3 percent on Friday as investors digested the likelihood that a harder-line conservative—rather than a more market-friendly figure—could dominate the right-wing field. São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, once touted as a moderate conservative option, has repeatedly denied presidential ambitions despite his ties to Bolsonaro.
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