Bolsonaro’s Key Candidates Fare Poorly in Municipal Vote

  • Bolsonaro candidate defeated in Sao Paulo; comes second in Rio
  • Some 5,500 mayors, 57,000 city councilors elected Sunday
Jair BolsonaroPhotographer: Evaristo Sa/AFP/Getty Images
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Candidates backed by President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s main capitals were defeated or had a weak performance at Sunday’s municipal elections, underscoring limits to the political influence of the Brazilian leader.

The nation of 200 million chose mayors and city councilors in a vote widely-considered as a referendum on the first half of Bolsonaro’s four-year mandate. Official results from the country’s top electoral court show a challenging scenario for the far-right leader.