Alfredo Gaspar Selected as Flávio Bolsonaro's Vice Presidential Candidate for 2026
Alfredo Gaspar, a former Attorney General and federal deputy from Alagoas, has been chosen as Flávio Bolsonaro's vice-presidential candidate for the 2026 election, highlighting Bolsonaro's strategic focus on security and conservative voters.
- • Alfredo Gaspar, with a 24-year judiciary career, was announced as Flávio Bolsonaro's vice-presidential candidate.
- • Gaspar gained national prominence as the rapporteur for the INSS fraud CPI, proposing indictments against over 200 individuals linked to Lula's government.
- • He has held public security roles in Alagoas and focused on anti-corruption legislation as a federal deputy.
- • Bolsonaro's selection of Gaspar aims to strengthen his campaign’s conservative appeal amid a tightening race with Lula.
Key details
Flávio Bolsonaro has officially named Alfredo Gaspar as his vice-presidential running mate in the upcoming 2026 Brazilian presidential election. The announcement was made at the Partido Liberal’s headquarters in Brasília, marking a strategic move after centrist parties declined to join Bolsonaro's coalition.
Gaspar, 55, hails from Alagoas and has a long-standing career in the judiciary with 24 years in the Ministry of Public Affairs. He served as Attorney General of Justice starting 2016, being re-elected twice. He gained national prominence as the rapporteur for the parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) investigating INSS fraud, where he proposed indictments against over 200 individuals, including Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, President Lula's son, although his report was later rejected.
Initially entering politics in 2020 as a mayoral candidate for Maceió, Gaspar lost in the second round but was elected federal deputy in 2022, focussing on public safety, anti-corruption, and stricter penal legislation. He served as Secretary of State for Social Defense and Secretary of Public Security in Alagoas, taking a tough stance against organized crime. Switching from União Brasil to the Partido Liberal in 2026, Gaspar became the state president of the party in Alagoas and is expected to run for the Senate to consolidate his political career.
Gaspar's selection aims to strengthen Bolsonaro's appeal to conservative voters and Northeast Brazil, while his role in the CPI is used to challenge Lula’s government. His political beginnings were supported by the powerful Calheiros family, allies of Lula, yet Gaspar has positioned himself firmly within the conservative right.
Recent polls show President Lula leading Flávio Bolsonaro in potential second-round matchups, though Bolsonaro has narrowed the gap slightly, now polling at 39% versus Lula's 44%. New political figures like Renan Santos are also emerging, adding complexity to the 2026 electoral race.
Gaspar’s vice-presidential nomination represents a calculated effort by Bolsonaro to reinforce his security-focused and anti-corruption message amid a fiercely contested presidential race ahead.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
Source articles (3)
Source comparison
Alfredo Gaspar's political alignment
Sources report different political alignments for Alfredo Gaspar.
gauchazh.clicrbs.com.br
"In 2026, he left the União Brasil party, joined the Partido Liberal."
www1.folha.uol.com.br
"Gaspar represented a shift towards a more conservative political alignment by joining the newly formed União Brasil party."
Why this matters: One source states Gaspar joined the União Brasil party before becoming vice-presidential candidate, while another indicates he left União Brasil to join the Partido Liberal. This discrepancy affects understanding of his political affiliations and motivations.