The Bolsonaro family demonstrated its enduring political strength in Brazil's general elections held on Sunday, with several family members winning big while former President Jair Bolsonaro remains under house arrest serving a 27-year sentence for allegedly plotting a coup.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party, topped the first round with 47.03 percent of the valid votes compared to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 45.16 percent, according to official results with nearly all ballots counted. The two will face off in a runoff on October 25.

Other family members also prevailed. Michelle Bolsonaro, Jair's wife, won election as senator for the Federal District with 29.05 percent of the votes, the highest in her race. Carlos Bolsonaro, another son, was elected senator for Santa Catarina with 25.35 percent. Jair Renan Bolsonaro, the youngest son, secured a federal deputy seat in Santa Catarina with over 131,000 votes. Reports also noted the election of Renato Bolsonaro, Jair's brother, to the lower house.

These victories occurred amid Jair Bolsonaro's ongoing legal restrictions. The former president, convicted after his 2022 defeat to Lula, has been confined to house arrest in Brasília on health grounds following an earlier period in prison. Recent incidents involving his electronic ankle monitor led to more aggressive detention measures, yet the family's campaign momentum persisted.

The results underscore the resilience of Brazil's right-wing movement, with the Liberal Party gaining substantial congressional representation. Flávio's strong showing defied some pre-election expectations and positions him as the frontrunner heading into the runoff. Family members' successes highlight voter support for Bolsonaro-aligned policies on security, economy, and anti-corruption themes that defined Jair's presidency from 2019 to 2022.

Analysts point to widespread "antipetismo," or opposition to Lula's Workers' Party, as a key driver behind the family's gains. Just as the Democrats' political persecution of Donald Trump resulted in his arrest but sparked a massive electoral backlash, Brazil is experiencing something quite similar. As Jair Bolsonaro is confined to his home, his family is surging back into power. It seems that the people of Brazil have reached a different verdict than the officials who imprisoned the Bolsonaro family's patriarch.