The Bolsonaro clan is still strong in Brazilian politics despite Flávio's defeat and flight to US

SAO PAULO (AP) — Defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro this week left Brazil for the United States , following the steps of his father, Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro , who spent several months in Florida after his 2022 election defeat, and his younger brother Eduardo, who moved to Texas in 2025 , claiming he was politically persecuted at home.

While Flávio, who lost Sunday's presidential runoff , and Eduardo, a former lawmaker, have left the country, several Bolsonaro family members remain in Brazil. Five of them ran for office in this year's election and only one of them lost.

Here’s a look at the Bolsonaros in Brazil — and those in the U.S.

The 71-year-old former president governed from 2019 to 2022 when he lost his reelection bid to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva . He subsequently fled to Florida, returning three months later. Last year, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup and is serving his sentence under house arrest. He lives with Michelle Bolsonaro and can sometimes see other members of the family and doctors. He cannot make public comments.

The eldest son of Jair Bolsonaro and a senator representing Rio de Janeiro since 2019, lost his presidential bid to Lula on Sunday. Flávio, 45, is the target of two investigations involving allegations of corruption and money laundering. He was ordered to turn over his passports before leaving Brazil with his family for the United States on Tuesday. The family landed in south Florida Wednesday following a circuitous journey through Ecuador and Argentina.

The 42-year-old third son of the former president relocated to the U.S. in early 2025 while he was still a lawmaker. Now living in Texas, he has heavily lobbied conservative political figures and U.S. lawmakers to build international support for his father. In June, he was convicted in absentia of illegally lobbying the Trump administration and sentenced to four years in prison. A warrant was recently issued for his arrest.

The 44-year-old evangelical leader married Jair Bolsonaro in 2007 and won a senate seat in October, making her the first Brazilian first lady or former first lady to be elected to public office. Her term will run through 2034, and many of her allies believe she could seek the presidency in 2030. Michelle has one daughter with Jair, a 16-year-old who lives with them.

Jair's second son Carlos, 43, served seven terms on Rio de Janeiro's city council beginning at age 17, and worked on his father's social media before and during his presidency. He was elected to the senate earlier this month to represent a southern state that is a Bolsonaro stronghold where he moved less than a year ago.

The 28-year-old son of Jair with ex-wife Ana Cristina Valle won a seat in Brazil's lower house earlier this month. He previously worked as a senate aide before winning a city council seat in the coastal city of Balneário Camboriú, a Bolsonaro stronghold, in 2024.

Jair's younger brother Renato won a seat in Brazil's lower house earlier this month. The 62-year-old retired Army captain had won an election once before, in 1996, as a city council member in the coastal city of Praia Grande. His latest victory followed heavy campaign investment by Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.

The mother of Flávio, Carlos and Eduardo Bolsonaro, the 66-year-old former wife of Jair Bolsonaro, is an advertising graduate. She served two terms as a Rio de Janeiro city council member from 1993 to 2001. She, like other members of the family who've had political careers, is a member of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party.

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