Every Single Fake Bolsonaro Was Defeated in Brazilian Elections
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro gave his namesakes no upper hand during Sunday’s municipal elections.
(Bloomberg) -- Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro gave his namesakes no upper hand during Sunday’s municipal elections.
More than 70 candidates had spontaneously added “Bolsonaro” to their ballot names as they sought to ride on the coattails of the controversial yet popular far-right leader. But in a sign of just how limited the president’s popularity may be, none scored enough votes to get elected.
Brazilians picked more than 5,500 mayors and 57,000 city councilors in elections that marked the growth of center-right parties, following a conservative wave that swept the country a few years ago. Candidates openly backed by the president didn’t fare well either. Even Bolsonaro’s son, Carlos, was re-elected as city councilor for Rio de Janeiro with a fraction of the votes he won four years ago.
That didn’t discourage Jair “Bolsonaro” Souza Silva, a former evangelical pastor who ran for the city council of an Amazonian town and ended with 22 votes. “I really admire the president and if I run in the next elections, I’ll be happy to use his name again,” he said.
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