Former Brazilian first lady enters Senate race, while her stepson seeks nation's top office

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(FILES) Former First Lady of Brazil Michelle Bolsonaro, wife of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, speaks to the media as she leaves a store near her house in Brasilia on July 31, 2026. On August 2, 2026, Brazil’s former first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro, announced her bid for the Senate, following several weeks of speculation about her candidacy due to differences with her stepson and presidential candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro. (Photo by Sergio Lima / AFP)

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The right-wing Liberal Party in Brazil nominated former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro as a Senate candidate on Sunday, despite her recent feud with her stepson Flavio Bolsonaro, the party’s presidential nominee.

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With ex-president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest for plotting a coup at the end of his 2019-2022 term, Michelle and Flavio Bolsonaro have been locked in a struggle over influence in Brazil’s large conservative movement.

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The feud became public in late June when the former first lady, 44, accused her 45-year-old stepson of disrespecting her, claiming he had said she “didn’t understand anything about politics.”

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The spat was viewed as a major impediment to her stepson’s attempts at broadening support ahead of the presidential election, given Michelle Bolsonaro has proven popular among female and evangelical voters.

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Flavio Bolsonaro, currently a senator, issued a public apology before his formal nomination last weekend as the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate — with his stepmother quickly accepting the olive branch.

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He will face off in October against leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, who is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term and has gained momentum in recent weeks.

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A Liberal Party event on Sunday in the capital Brasilia was expected to be a symbolic reunion of the two conservative heavyweights, but Michelle Bolsonaro was a no-show.

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She was hospitalized the day before with a severe headache and only discharged as the event got underway, according to the medical center where she was treated.

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Her brother Diego Torres delivered a speech she had planned on giving in her place.

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“I accept this challenge,” he said on her behalf.

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Flavio Bolsonaro, for his part, said in a speech that “we are going to rescue democracy, together with Michelle Bolsonaro.”

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AFP

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