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2026 ELECTION

Michelle Bolsonaro is Brazil's most powerful woman, voters say

Michelle and Jair Bolsonaro. Photo: Fotos Públicas

Ask Brazilians to name the most powerful woman in their country, offer no list to pick from, and one name surfaces above the rest: Michelle Bolsonaro. In an Ideia Big Data poll released on Wednesday, 15.4% of the 1,500 voters volunteered the former first lady's name unprompted. 

Rosângela Lula da Silva — who actually lives in the presidential palace and seldom ducks a camera — placed second at 9%. Supreme Court Justice Cármen Lúcia, the only sitting woman in the top court on the land, world-famous singer Anitta and an assortment of ministers and influencers trailed well behind. "It is a strong sign of her political weight," said pollster Mauricio Moura, founder of Ideia.

The findings come two weeks after…

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