Damares stands as a right-wing alternative in 2026 if Bolsonaro becomes ineligible

Former minister and current senator for the Federal District, Damares Alves (Republicans), says she may be the right-wing alternative in the 2026 presidential election if former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) becomes ineligible in the processes he responds to in the Superior Court Elections (TSE). This statement was made in an interview with the newspaper O Globo published this Tuesday (28).

Although she still considers Bolsonaro as the natural leader of the opposition in the country, the senator makes herself available to right-wing parties for succession, along with other names she considers feasible for the dispute.

“Have me. Don’t forget me, I’m good. We have a lot of good people on the right, (senator Rogério) Marinho, who is extremely discreet, but who was a great minister, did the job. There’s (Hamilton) Mourão, Tarcísio (Freitas), (Romeu) Zema, we have a lot of good people on the right. Now our leader is still Bolsonaro. If it becomes ineligible, this conversation will certainly take place and we will choose who has the best chance”, he said in the interview.

However, Damares believes that there is no possibility of Michelle Bolsonaro running for president, as rumored behind the scenes. She says that the former first lady “does not want to, does not talk about it”, and that her objective is to help strengthen the right and “break the record of women affiliated to the party”.

According to the senator, Bolsonaro was right to travel to the United States at the end of last year to “rest, compose himself to return”, also due to the “legal insecurity” that surrounded the country in those days. The former president scheduled his return to Brazil for this Thursday (30).

“He did well to leave to collect himself, to come back strong, to rally the team, to lead. Bolsonaro is our natural leader, he is the leader of the right, he is my leader. It will come back just fine. He is smiling, he is happy, he is eating ”, added the senator.