When former President Jair Bolsonaro anointed his eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, to be his political heir and standard-bearer for the 2026 presidential race, just 8% of voters said it was a good decision. But Brazil’s far-right base has since embraced its new champion, according to the latest Quaest poll.
Not only does Flávio poll at least 20 points ahead of any conservative alternative, but a sizable share of voters who identify as “pro-Bolsonaro” say they would not bother turning up to vote if he is not the challenger in a runoff against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Those rates reach:
35% if the conservative candidate is Governor Ratinho Jr. of Paraná (up from 22% in January);
37% if it is Governor Ronaldo Caiado of Goiás (up from 27%);
36% if it is Governor Romeu Zema of Minas Gerais (up from 30%);
46% if it is Governor Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul (up from 40% and statistically tied with the 47% of Bolsonaristas who say they would vote for Leite).
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