Despite high popularity, Bolsonaro is no kingmaker

Unlike the U.S., where campaigns must buy their own ad time on television or radio – or France, where all candidates are given equal time for their political broadcasts – in Brazil, free TV and radio airtime is available for candidates, but it is distributed between all parties, in proportion with the number of legislative seats each party holds. For some municipal candidates, however, there is an additional platform: the weekly live broadcasts on the official Jair Bolsonaro Facebook page.

On November 5, ten days prior to the election, the head of state spent 20 full minutes asking for supporters to cast their ballots for ten city council candidates (including his son, Carlos Bolsonaro, in Rio) and seven mayoral candidates from all over Brazil.

Before the start of the campaign, Mr. Bolsonaro said he did not plan to engage in electoral politics before the municipal vote, fearing that failed endorsements could hurt his projected strongman image. He was probably right.

In 2018, unknown...