Right-wing wave in Brazil's presidential election

Brazil's right-wing Liberal Party, home to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's presidential bid, emerged as the biggest winner in congressional elections on Sunday, securing the largest single-party representation in both the Senate and the lower house.



Senator Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, on Sunday won the most votes in the first round of the presidential race, advancing to a runoff against leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on October 25.



During the campaign, the younger Bolsonaro stumped often for allied Senate candidates. His Liberal Party (PL) increased its representation in the Senate from 15 to 28 seats, the strongest result for a party since Brazil's constitution was enacted in the late 1980s, following the country's return to democracy.



It also secured 121 seats in the lower house, projections for that chamber showed, up from 98 seats currently.



Combined with other center-to-right parties and blocs, which were projected to win close to 250 seats in the lower house and more than 30 seats in the Senate, the Bolsonaro agenda looks set to enjoy a healthy working majority in the next Congress.



An allied Congress — and particularly Senate — would help the younger Bolsonaro achieve his aim of granting amnesty to his father, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.