Flavio Bolsonaro: the son carrying his father's legacy into Brazil's election
As Brazil holds the first round of its presidential election, Flavio Bolsonaro, eldest son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, is running neck-and-neck with incumbent Lula da Silva, pledging to pardon his father if elected.
Brazil votes Sunday in the first round of its presidential election, with 45-year-old Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest of former president Jair Bolsonaro's five children, polling in a statistical tie with incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Liberal Party candidate has promised to pardon his father immediately upon taking office. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year, three-month sentence for plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat.
A name more than a leader
Analysts describe Flavio Bolsonaro as lacking his father's charisma and oratory skills, sometimes appearing to lack self-confidence. Still, the family name has helped push him into a dead heat with Lula in the polls. At his campaign launch in July, an AI-generated video of his imprisoned father endorsing him was shown on stage, prompting Brazil's Supreme Court to demand an explanation, since Jair Bolsonaro is barred from making public statements while incarcerated. The former president denied authorizing use of his image and voice.
Last month it also emerged that Flavio Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering linked to funding for a biopic about his father, whose release has been postponed indefinitely.
Balancing legacy and distance
Experts say Flavio Bolsonaro is trying to both showcase his father's legacy and distinguish himself from him, aiming to win over undecided voters, particularly women. He speaks less bluntly, avoids misogynistic or homophobic remarks, and is more careful with the press than his father — but analysts stress his ideology remains identical. As a Rio de Janeiro state senator since 2019, he has backed a hardline security policy, traditional family values, an economic approach modeled on Argentine President Javier Milei, and opposition to environmental regulation. He has previously faced scandals, including alleged ties to paramilitary groups and a case involving embezzled civil servant salaries that closed in 2025 without convictions. Observers warn his more technocratic image could make advancing the Bolsonarist agenda even more effective.
