Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro announced Wednesday, August 5, 2026, that Congressman Alfredo Gaspar will be his running mate in the presidential election against incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Gaspar, 55, is a lawmaker from Alagoas who has served in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies since 2023 and previously led the state’s public security department. Brazil’s first-round vote is scheduled for October 4, with a second round on October 25 if required.
At a glance:
- The ticket was announced on August 5, 2026.
- Alfredo Gaspar has represented Alagoas in the Chamber of Deputies since 2023.
- Gaspar previously served as Alagoas’s public security secretary.
- The presidential first round is scheduled for October 4, 2026.
Who is Alfredo Gaspar?
Gaspar is a lawyer and former prosecutor who served twice as Alagoas’s public security secretary before entering Congress. The Chamber of Deputies lists him as a representative for Alagoas in the 2023–2027 legislative term.
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His background gives the ticket a partner identified with public security, an issue Flávio Bolsonaro has also emphasized during his campaign. Gaspar said at the announcement that he was a simple person from Brazil’s northeast whose life had been shaped by hard work and that he would work with Bolsonaro to build a fairer country.
Why the INSS investigation matters
Gaspar was the rapporteur of a congressional inquiry into alleged irregularities involving Brazil’s National Social Security Institute, which administers public pensions and social security. The inquiry examined unauthorized deductions and alleged fraud affecting retirees and pensioners.
The Chamber’s official account says Gaspar’s final report sought the indictment of 216 people, but the report was rejected by the inquiry’s members in a 19–12 vote on March 28, 2026. The commission then ended without approving a final report, making the investigation politically significant but not a completed congressional finding.
The election backdrop
Flávio Bolsonaro was confirmed as the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate in July. The Associated Press reported that his campaign had struggled to attract support from centrist parties, several of which have backed Lula’s broader coalition or remained neutral.
The Superior Electoral Court’s 2026 election rules set October 4 for the first round and October 25 for an eventual runoff. A second round is needed when no presidential candidate secures the required majority in the first vote.
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