Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro has maintained a resilient voter base despite recent obstacles including the Dark Horse case, political analyst Fábio Zambeli said.
Speaking on the news program WW, Zambeli evaluated the 2026 presidential election race following Bolsonaro's performance during his candidate interview on the national news broadcast Jornal Nacional.
Zambeli, director of the communications company In Press group, said recent opinion polls show that Bolsonaro's core electorate has remained loyal despite negative revelations that emerged in recent weeks.
He noted that the Liberal Party candidate arrived well prepared for the television appearance, having undergone intensive preparation in recent days to address the most critical issues raised by journalists.
However, Zambeli emphasized that convincing loyal supporters is no longer the campaign's main task. He said the central challenge for Bolsonaro is expanding his appeal to voters who are not traditionally part of the pro-Bolsonaro movement, whose support he will need to win a simple majority.
Interview dynamic and voter perception
Zambeli drew a contrast between the televised interviews given on consecutive days by Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party.
He said President Lula had the opportunity to promote the accomplishments of his administration during his broadcast, whereas Bolsonaro spent virtually the entire interview on the defensive.
Zambeli noted that Bolsonaro spent more than 40 minutes explaining his position on negative topics raised by the panel of news anchors.
That dynamic risks leaving voters unsure about Bolsonaro's positive proposals and overall vision for the country, Zambeli said. He added that voters comparing the two interviews will look for a clear platform and positive agenda rather than explanations of past controversies.
According to the analyst, Bolsonaro's primary objective going forward must be to present a consistent campaign program that offers hope to the electorate instead of merely reacting to political crises.
Jornal Nacional is the flagship nightly news program of TV Globo, Brazil's largest television network. Its candidate interviews, known in Brazil as sabatinas, are traditional fixtures of presidential campaign coverage, providing candidates with their largest national television audience.
The 40-day campaign road ahead
Looking ahead, Zambeli described the next stage of the presidential race as a complex 40-day period marked by intense public scrutiny.
The candidate faces scheduled television campaign broadcasts and televised debates, where he will need to project a broader policy program.
Zambeli concluded that Bolsonaro's ultimate success in the election will depend on whether his campaign can effectively broaden its reach beyond its consolidated core base.
Flávio Bolsonaro is a Brazilian senator and candidate for the conservative Liberal Party in the 2026 presidential election, while President Lula leads the governing left-wing Workers' Party coalition.
