Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential candidate and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has officially selected his running mate for the upcoming October election. The senator, who was confirmed as the Liberal Party’s presidential nominee last month, chose lawmaker Alfredo Gaspar to join his ticket. The move comes as Flávio Bolsonaro faces a challenging campaign against incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the possibility of a runoff vote if neither candidate secures a majority.
Unlike his father, the younger Bolsonaro has struggled to secure endorsements from centrist parties, a factor that has significantly complicated his search for a vice-presidential candidate. Alfredo Gaspar has served in Brazil’s lower house since 2023 and brings a background as a former prosecutor and secretary of public security for the northeastern state of Alagoas. Praising his selection, Flávio Bolsonaro stated, “He is someone I’ve come to admire, and everyone here has come to admire him as well – for his courage, his honesty, and his track record in public security.”
The campaign had previously attempted to recruit Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina as a high-profile female running mate, but the effort failed. Cristina’s party, which maintains a significant congressional stronghold and played a key role during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency, has notably distanced itself from the candidate. This lack of support is particularly challenging given that the younger Bolsonaro’s political movement has historically faced difficulties attracting women voters.
Since launching his bid to challenge Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro has encountered a series of political hurdles. Support for his candidacy began to decline in May after he admitted to requesting millions of dollars from jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro to fund a film about his father’s life. Additionally, while he has attempted to leverage his family’s ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, many Brazilian business leaders and politicians have blamed him for new tariffs of up to 37.5% imposed by the Trump administration on certain Brazilian exports. In June, the candidate also faced a public dispute after his stepmother recorded a video claiming he had been disrespectful toward her, though the two have since reconciled.
