Wife in Senate, sons in Congress: Bolsonaro family scores big in Brazil polls

The Bolsonaro family is within reach of a return to power in Brazil after Flavio Bolsonaro edged President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's first-round vote and his relatives scored a string of congressional wins.

The eldest son of jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro secured 47 per cent of the vote, compared with Lula's 45 per cent. The result defied pre-election polling, which had put Lula roughly three percentage points ahead.

Now, the two will meet again on October 25.

But Flavio's result was only part of the Bolsonaro family's strong showing. His mother, Michelle Bolsonaro, topped the Senate vote in Brasilia. His brother Carlos Bolsonaro finished second among Senate candidates in Santa Catarina, while the youngest Bolsonaro brother, Jair Renan, won a seat in the lower house from the same state.

Jair Bolsonaro's brother Renato Bolsonaro also won a seat as a federal deputy in Sao Paulo.

It means the family that built Brazil's most powerful right-wing political brand is heading into the run-off with a much stronger congressional presence than it had before the vote.FLAVIO'S PRESIDENTIAL PUSH

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, was not originally expected to be the central figure in Brazil's next presidential race.

His father chose him to carry the responsibilities after Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of plotting a coup following his defeat in the 2022 election. The former president is serving a 27-year sentence and has been barred from seeking office until 2030.

Flavio now has a chance to take back to the presidential palace.

"Brazil wants change and I am very happy with the results," Flavio told reporters in Brasilia after almost all the votes had been counted. He declared that the result marked "the end of the era of (Lula's) Workers' Party".

Lula, speaking later to supporters in Sao Paulo, admitted that the race had entered a new phase.

"Starting tomorrow, we begin a new campaign," he said, promising voters that he would make the case for what he had delivered during his presidency.

The result was particularly notable because Flavio had been expected to trail Lula in the first round. Robert Muggah, co-founder of the Igarape Institute think tank, told Reuters that pollsters had "missed badly".THE BOLSONARO NAME IS EVERYWHERE

That strength was visible well beyond the presidential race.

Michelle Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's wife, won more votes than any other Senate candidate in Brasilia's Federal District. At 44, she is already being discussed as a possible presidential contender in 2030.

Carlos Bolsonaro, 43, secured the second-highest vote among Senate candidates in Santa Catarina.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former congressman who is Jair Bolsonaro's third son, did not seek re-election after moving to the United States last year. But the family still added another member to Congress when Jair Renan Bolsonaro, 28, won a federal deputy seat in Santa Catarina.

Then there was Renato Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's 62-year-old brother, who was elected to the lower house in Sao Paulo.

The family's gains came alongside a strong performance by Bolsonaro's Liberal Party. It won 19 of the 54 Senate seats contested on Sunday, making it the largest force in the upper house, although it did not secure a majority. The party is also set to be the largest in the Chamber of Deputies.

That matters. A Flavio Bolsonaro government would have family members and a conservative congressional bloc behind it. One of his campaign promises is to seek amnesty for his father, a move that would require approval in both chambers.

If Lula wins instead, he will face a Congress with a significantly stronger conservative presence, making it harder for his government to push legislation through.LULA'S COST-OF-LIVING PROBLEM

The election was not only a referendum on the Bolsonaro family.

For voters, everyday economic pressures, crime and insecurity were central concerns. Lula has benefited from falling inequality and unemployment, but his government has struggled to convince many Brazilians who are dealing with high living costs and household debt.

Gang activity and concerns about crime have added to the pressure.

Flavio has sought to turn those frustrations against Lula, while the president has responded with measures aimed at easing the financial burden on households. Lula has expanded welfare support, proposed new debt relief and moved against online gambling.

Brazil's fiscal position is another problem waiting for the next government. Public debt has climbed above 82 per cent of GDP, while the government has lowered its growth forecasts to 2 per cent this year and 2.3 per cent next year.

Yet the campaign offered surprisingly little detailed policy debate. Both leading candidates skipped major television debates, leaving the contest heavily shaped by broader questions about the direction of the country.THE TRUMP FACTOR

The campaign was also overshadowed by scandals and concerns about foreign interference.

The collapse of Banco Master became one of the biggest controversies of the election season after its chief executive, Daniel Vorcaro, was arrested and accused of involvement in a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme. He has denied the allegations.

Brazilian police have investigated the bank's links to leaders, including Jair Bolsonaro, who is being investigated over suspected money laundering connected to the case. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.

The Trump administration also hovered over the election.

Lula's allies warned during the campaign that Washington could refuse to recognise the result if Lula won, while US officials rejected allegations of interference in Brazilian affairs.

Donald Trump has not formally endorsed either candidate. He has, however, hosted Flavio Bolsonaro at the White House and spoken favourably about him.

According to Reuters, Brazilian intelligence officials had briefed French and German representatives about alleged US and Russian interference.

The bigger story, however, was already clear.

Jair Bolsonaro may be in prison and barred from running, but his family remains firmly embedded in Brazilian politics. On Sunday, his wife, sons and brother all added to that political base while Flavio did something even more significant: he put himself within one election of succeeding his father as Brazil's president.

Lula now has three weeks to stop him.- Ends