Bolsonaro family tests its political brand in southern Brazil
Flavio, Carlos and Jair Renan Bolsonaro are campaigning for national and legislative office in a region strongly aligned with their father, raising questions about the future of Bolsonarism.
Three sons of Jair Bolsonaro are seeking political power in southern Brazil, with Flavio Bolsonaro running for president, Carlos Bolsonaro contesting a Senate seat in Santa Catarina and Jair Renan Bolsonaro pursuing legislative office.
The campaigns are concentrated in a state where nearly 70 per cent of voters backed Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential election. Their appeal is built around conservative positions, nationalism, religion, hard work and opposition to left-wing policies, particularly among agribusiness communities.
Carlos Bolsonaro, a long-serving Rio de Janeiro councillor, moved to Santa Catarina several months ago and is contesting a Senate seat there for the first time. His campaign has relied heavily on the family name, social media, WhatsApp networks and direct phone contact, while campaign schedules have reportedly been withheld for security reasons.
Jair Renan Bolsonaro is targeting younger voters after being elected a councillor in the region three years ago. Supporters present him as continuing his father’s political legacy, while reporting by France 24 noted questions about his independent political profile and the extent of his activity in local government.
The campaign is taking place in the reported shadow of Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup and barred from taking part in the campaign. Political scientist Joao Feres said the family was relying on a national brand to compensate for the candidates’ limited local roots, but cautioned that Jair Bolsonaro’s political capital was not automatically inherited. The central test is whether the family can turn an established electorate into independent leadership.
