Senator Flávio Bolsonaro stated he will only withdraw his pre-candidacy for the 2026 presidency if former President Jair Bolsonaro is released and can run in the elections. In an interview with Record, he described the 'price' as justice for his father and supporters, while praising the positive reaction from Governor Tarcísio de Freitas to the news. The statement comes amid polls showing low initial support for his candidacy.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, announced his pre-candidacy for the 2026 presidency with his father's endorsement, who is serving a 27-year and three-month prison sentence for leading a coup plot to stay in power after the 2022 elections. Sentenced on September 11, 2025, and ineligible until 2060, Jair Bolsonaro has been in preventive detention at the Federal Police Superintendency in Brasília since November 22, 2025, after damaging his electronic ankle monitor at 12:07 a.m. that day. A Datafolha poll conducted from December 2 to 4, 2025, with 2,002 voters in 113 municipalities, found that 54% of Brazilians believe the incident was an escape attempt, while 33% accept the former president's paranoid breakdown explanation.
In an interview on Record's Domingo Espetacular program on December 7, 2025, Flávio stated he would only withdraw from the race if his father is 'free, at the polls.' 'My price is justice. And it's not just justice for me, it's justice for almost 60 million Brazilians who were kidnapped, who are in a cage right now, along with President Jair Messias Bolsonaro,' he said. He emphasized that the candidacy is 'very conscious' and represents hope for supporters, denying it is a trial balloon. Flávio revealed that São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos-SP) was the first informed and reacted positively: 'You can count on me. We're together.' The senator praised Tarcísio as a 'key piece' and denied splits in the right, stressing unity against the 'wrong path' of 2022.
Another Datafolha poll released the same day showed only 8% believe Jair Bolsonaro should support Flávio, compared to 22% for Michelle Bolsonaro and 20% for Tarcísio. Flávio dismissed current numbers, stating he will focus on expanding the congressional bench: 'The presidency is the cherry on top; the cake is the deputies and senators.' The financial market reacted negatively, with the Ibovespa dropping nearly 2% after the December 5 announcement, but Flávio attributed it to hasty analysis and presented himself as a 'different Bolsonaro, much more centered.'
STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the final judgment of the cases on November 25, 2025, starting the sentence in closed regime. Flávio plans negotiations with Centrão leaders and a prison visit to his father to discuss arrangements.
