Bolsonaro wins endorsements from right-wing rivals for Brazil election runoff
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Brazil's presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) speaks after the country's electoral authority said he will face President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the runoff of a presidential election, in Brasilia, Brazil, October 4, 2026. REUTERS/Diego Herculano
RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, Oct 5 - Senator Flavio Bolsonaro received on Monday endorsements from Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, two right-wing politicians who ran against him in Sunday's first-round vote, for the runoff against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva later this month.
• Caiado, a former governor of Goias state, won 2.18% of valid votes -- which exclude blank and null ballots -- on Sunday, while Zema, an ex-governor of Minas Gerais state, got 0.27%
• Caiado, from the PSD party, will meet with Bolsonaro on Tuesday to announce the endorsement, a statement from his press team said
• Zema, from the NOVO party, unveiled his endorsement on a post on his social media
• Among other candidates, author-psychiatrist Augusto Cury and Renan Santos, who received 2.89% and 2.24% of the vote, respectively, said they would not endorse Bolsonaro or Lula
• Bolsonaro exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over Lula; the runoff is set for October 25 REUTERS