Jair Bolsonaro 2018 presidential campaign

Numerous politicians were mentioned as potential vice presidential running mates for Bolsonaro. In addition to General Hamilton Mourão, who was eventually chosen, figures mentioned as possible running mates for Bolsonaro included:

• Marcos Pontes, a famous astronaut and member of the PSL who would eventually become Bolsonaro's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.[10]
• Janaina Paschoal, a law professor at the University of São Paulo who helped initiate the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff; Paschoal would later be elected to the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo.[11]
• Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Bragança, a member of the Brazilian imperial family and descendant of Emperor Pedro II; Luiz Philippe would later be elected to the Chamber of Deputies.[12]
• Augusto Heleno, a retired General in the Brazilian Army[13][14] who would eventually become Bolsonaro's Secretary of Institutional Security.
• Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, member of the Chamber of Deputies from Minas Gerais[15]
• Magno Malta, Senator from Espirito Santo[13]

The National Executive Committee of Social Liberal Party, and the National Executive Committee of the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party, elected the candidate for office of vice-president and the National Directory of PSL, elected the candidate to President of republic. Karina Rodrigues Fidelix da Cruz (PRTB), appointed by PRTB, and Gulliem Charles Bezerra Lemos (PSL), appointed by PSL, were the delegates of the coalition. Gustavo Bebiano Rocha was the representative of the slate for the Supreme Electoral Court. Janaína Paschoal refused to be the vice-president candidate together Bolsonaro.

Before his campaign, Bolsonaro desired that the senator Magno Malta (from the Party of Republic) or Augusto Heleno,(from the Progressive Republican Party) become the vice-president in his slate,[13] but their parties did not allow the two of them to compete together.

During his campaign, Bolsonaro has praised the two-decade (1964-1985) military dictatorship in Brazil and has praised foreign autocrats such as Alberto Fujimori of Peru and Augusto Pinochet of Chile.[19] Bolsonaro has promised to give police permission to shoot first and ask questions later.[20] His platform also promotes liberalizing gun laws and repressive tactics against urban criminality and drug trafficking, along with the advocation of rolling back affirmative action for black-Brazilians and reversing legislation which increases sentences for murdering women because of their gender (femicide).[21]

Despite earlier calls for massive policy shifts in environmentalism, Bolsonaro backed away from calls to pull Brazil out of the Paris Agreements, and the elimination of Brazil's Environmental Ministry. However he told international non-profit groups such as the World Wildlife Fund, that he would not allow their agendas in Brazil, strongly protested against lands reserved for indigenous tribes, and plans to expand nuclear and hydroelectric power into the Amazon.[22]

Some supporters of Bolsonaro have compared him to US President Donald Trump, and believe that he, like Trump, will bring the radical change that they feel is needed in response to the "lawlessness" of Brazil, with many nicknaming Bolsonaro "the legend."[23] Steve Bannon (chief executive officer of Trump's 2016 presidential bid) has advised Bolsonaro's campaign.[24]

Bolsonaro being stabbed at a Juiz de Fora rally

Bolsonaro was stabbed on 6 September 2018 while campaigning and interacting with supporters in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.[82] Bolsonaro's son, Flávio, has stated that his father's wounds were only superficial and he was recovering in hospital.[83] Police arrested and identified the attacker as Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, who claimed that he was "ordered by God to carry out the attack".[84] Flávio Bolsonaro later stated that the wounds inflicted seem worse than initially thought. He tweeted about his father's condition, explaining that the perforation reached part of the liver, the lung and part of the intestine. He also stated that Bolsonaro had lost a large amount of blood, arriving at the hospital with a pressure of 10/3, but had since stabilized.[85][86][82] Most of the other candidates in the presidential race (from both sides of the political spectrum), and the then Brazilian president, Michel Temer, condemned the attack.[87]

After the end of the elections, Bolsonaro decided to donate the rest of the money collected in the campaign, to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital, where he got hospital treatment after the assassination attempt.

The campaign receipts were R$4.001.413,01 while the costs summed R$2.456.215,03.[94] Bolsonaro had the cheapest campaign among the main candidates.[94] The cost per vote was R$0,03 against R$0,73 of his opponent Haddad.[95] At the end, he tried to donate the remaining value to Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital[96] but was not possible according to the election laws.[97] About R$1.300.000,00 was raised by people in social medias to thanks Santa Casa Hospital.[98]

• Social Liberal Party (Brazil)
• Brazilian Labour Renewal Party

• Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro
• Jair Bolsonaro 2022 presidential campaign

• Jair Bolsonaro (PSL, PRTB) para Presidente Archived 31 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• Jair Bolsonaro - ZippNoticias