Politics: Brazil
Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro, says he is ready to run again if a new election comes up, although none is scheduled. In an interview published by Reuters, the international news agency, on Friday 13 November 2026, he said the next race could come “sooner than expected”.
Key Facts
—What. Flávio Bolsonaro says he is ready to run again “if a new electoral race emerges”.
—Where. He spoke in an interview published on Friday 13 November 2026 and is now in the United States.
—Result. The electoral court, which certifies Brazil’s vote, declared President Lula the winner by over 4 million votes.
—Open. No new presidential election is scheduled, and he has not said how one could come sooner.
—Power Index. Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
What He Said
“If a new electoral race emerges, I am ready to return,” Bolsonaro told Reuters. He added that he intends to run under the banner of the Liberal Party, the conservative party he belongs to.
Eight days earlier he made a similar point to The New York Times, as A Tarde, a newspaper in Bahia state, reported on 5 November. “If there are new elections, obviously I will be a candidate again,” he said, according to A Tarde’s Portuguese report.
Asked whether he sees himself as president-elect, he answered: “To millions of Brazilians, that’s who I am.” Reuters reported that a letter written after he reached the United States first called him president-elect and was later changed to “leader”.
He also predicted that economic trouble would cut short President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s fourth term, saying “Brazil is going to go broke”. It is a political prediction, and we found no data behind it.
In Plain English
Flávio Bolsonaro: a senator from Rio de Janeiro state and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Liberal Party: the conservative party that backed the Bolsonaro family’s campaigns.
Electoral court: the body that runs Brazil’s elections and certifies the winner.
The Backdrop
Jair Bolsonaro, the former president, is serving a 27-year sentence for a coup plot, Reuters reported. His son lost the runoff to Lula by more than 4 million votes, according to the same report.
Before he left Brazil, Flávio Bolsonaro alleged without evidence that the election was fraudulent, Reuters wrote, although the electoral court declared Lula the winner. He now says his legal challenges face long odds: “If you ask me whether I think they’ll go anywhere, I doubt it.”
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court had ordered him to hand over his passport before he left, citing money-laundering investigations and a risk of flight, Reuters reported. Lula and others call him a runaway, and he replied: “That is a pejorative way of trying to attack me.”
A Quaest poll, from a Brazilian polling firm, found that 62% of Brazilians disapprove of his leaving the country after the runoff, Reuters said. Our earlier report on his US case and next steps covers his legal position in the United States, and our Brazil coverage follows the aftermath of the vote.
Why It Matters for US Readers
Bolsonaro is in the United States, and Reuters reported that he spoke between meetings to sort out his immigration status. He declined to say with whom he was meeting.
President Donald Trump said on 31 October that the senator could stay in the United States as long as he wants, according to Reuters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the same day that Washington was not directly involved in his departure.
What Happens Next
The interview names no date. The next scheduled presidential election in Brazil is in October 2030, so any earlier race would need a change that no one has announced.
Two things to watch are his legal challenges in Brazilian courts and any decision on where he will live. Neither has a fixed date.
What Is Not Known
It is not known what he means by a race coming “sooner than expected”, because no new vote is scheduled. He also gave few details about his standing inside the Liberal Party.
Whether he will remain in the United States is open as well. His claims of fraud have not been backed by evidence in anything we reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a new election in Brazil?
No new presidential election is scheduled. Bolsonaro says he is ready to run if one emerges.
Who won Brazil’s presidential election?
The electoral court declared President Lula the winner of the October runoff. His margin was more than 4 million votes, according to Reuters.
Where is Flávio Bolsonaro now?
He is in the United States and is working out his immigration status, Reuters reported. He declined to say with whom he was meeting.
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
Brazil runoff, Sunday, October 25: Brazil runoff: date, poll closing times and when results start. Latest: Brazil runoff polls, Flávio 51%, Lula 49%.