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Pastor Silas Malafaia's Brother to Be Running Mate for Carlos Portinho's Senate Bid in Rio
🇧🇷 Brazil /Elections & Politics

Pastor Silas Malafaia's Brother to Be Running Mate for Carlos Portinho's Senate Bid in Rio

From Estadão · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • State Deputy Samuel Malafaia, brother of pastor Silas Malafaia, will be the running mate for Senator Carlos Portinho's reelection bid in Rio de Janeiro.
  • The decision to include Malafaia on the ticket reportedly originated from presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro, who considered him for a Senate seat before shifting his own presidential ambitions.
  • Malafaia's inclusion follows Portinho's confirmation as the Bolsonaro-aligned candidate, replacing former governor Cláudio Castro who withdrew from the race.

State Deputy Samuel Malafaia, brother of prominent evangelical leader Pastor Silas Malafaia, is set to serve as the running mate for Senator Carlos Portinho's reelection campaign in Rio de Janeiro. The alliance pairs Portinho, a member of the Liberal Party (PL), with Malafaia, also affiliated with the PL, solidifying a connection within the party's political structure.

The idea of Samuel joining a Senate ticket would have come from presidential pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.

This quote explains the origin of Samuel Malafaia's potential candidacy for the Senate.

The initiative to place Malafaia on the ticket is attributed to Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a presidential hopeful himself. Initially, Flávio Bolsonaro considered Malafaia as a potential candidate for a Senate seat while contemplating his own reelection bid. However, after being tapped by his father to run for president in December 2025, Flávio Bolsonaro abandoned his congressional aspirations, redirecting his focus to the presidential race.

He considered the ally's name when he was still thinking about running for reelection to the Senate.

This quote elaborates on Flávio Bolsonaro's initial consideration of Samuel Malafaia for a Senate seat.

Malafaia is expected to meet with Portinho soon to finalize the details of their joint candidacy. This move comes shortly after Flávio Bolsonaro officially endorsed Portinho as the "Bolsonarista" candidate for one of Rio de Janeiro's Senate seats. Portinho steps into a position previously held by former governor Cláudio Castro, who withdrew from the election after becoming ineligible and facing a police investigation related to Daniel Vorcaro of Banco Master.

Samuel should meet with Carlos Portinho in the coming days to discuss the formalization of the ticket.

This quote indicates the next steps in solidifying the political alliance between Malafaia and Portinho.

The announcement also occurs amidst ongoing investigations, including one against former Belford Roxo mayor Márcio Canella, who was recently arrested with a rifle during a Federal Police operation targeting money laundering in Rio. Canella, also a pre-candidate for the Senate within the "Bolsonarista" group, has not yet officially withdrawn from the race. Flávio Bolsonaro has confirmed that Jair Bolsonaro approved Portinho's selection.

The indication of Malafaia occurs one day after Flávio Bolsonaro confirmed Carlos Portinho as the Bolsonarista candidate for one of Rio de Janeiro's Senate seats.

This quote highlights the timing of Malafaia's selection in relation to Portinho's official candidacy announcement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Estadão in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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