Rooted in faith, Bolsonaro's Supreme Court pick gets Senate nod

Flagging in the polls ahead of the 2022 presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro has one clear strategy: hold on to the constituencies he still has in his corner, and hope anti-left sentiment will be strong enough to push him over the line in a runoff.

Among his key bases of support are Brazil's Evangelical Christian leaders, who boast significant influence in the country thanks to their ever-swelling congregations. In his first year in office, Mr. Bolsonaro promised to use one of his Supreme Court nominations to appoint an “extremely evangelical” justice to the country's highest tribunal — pandering to the sector's wishes of increased judicial representation to push back against progressive rulings on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.