The Bolsonaro clan claimed victory in every race they contested in Brazil on Sunday, as Flávio Bolsonaro surpassed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a first-round vote and several other family members won seats in Congress.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, received 47 percent of votes compared with Lula's 45 percent.
The pair will clash again in an October 25 runoff.
The 45-year-old senator was chosen by his father to continue the family's political project after Bolsonaro senior was convicted of coup-plotting and barred from running for office until 2030.
Other members of the dynasty surfed a right-wing wave that made Bolsonaro's Liberal Party the largest force in the Senate -- securing 19 of 54 Senate seats up for grabs – but it fell short of an outright majority.
Jair Bolsonaro's wife Michelle Bolsonaro secured more votes than any other candidate in her bid to become a senator in the capital Brasília's Federal District.
Commentators believe the 44-year-old is eyeing a presidential bid of her own in 2030.
Ex-leader Bolsonaro's second son Carlos Bolsonaro, 43, was the second most voted senatorial candidate in the southern Santa Catarina state.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, the third son aged 42, gave up his seat as a lawmaker when he moved to the United States last year.
The youngest Bolsonaro brother, Jair Renan, 28, was elected a federal deputy in the same state.
Jair Bolsonaro's brother, 62-year-old Renato Bolsonaro, was also elected a federal deputy in Sao Paulo.
If Flávio Bolsonaro becomes president, he will be able to count on two senators and two federal lawmakers in the family as he attempts to fulfill a campaign promise to secure amnesty for his jailed father.
Such a move would require a vote by both houses of Congress.
The party will also be the largest in the Chamber of Deputies.
Even if Lula is re-elected, he will have a tough time trying to push policies through chambers dominated by conservative lawmakers.
– TIMES/AFP
