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Brazil’s presidential race formally began on Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro appeared in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana neighborhood for a launch rally while wearing a bulletproof vest under a green-and-yellow shirt printed with the words, “My party is Brazil.” His wife walked beside him, along with his running mate Alfredo Gaspar, a first-term legislator from Bolsonaro’s party accused of mishandling public funds and sexually assaulting a minor.

Gaspar’s selection followed months of fruitless negotiations in which Bolsonaro sought to assemble a broader coalition behind his candidacy—and possibly select a more esteemed running mate from another party. The failure of those talks reflected the doubts that many politicians on Brazil’s right have about Bolsonaro’s chances.

Brazil’s presidential race formally began on Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro appeared in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana neighborhood for a launch rally while wearing a bulletproof vest under a green-and-yellow shirt printed with the words, “My party is Brazil.” His wife walked beside him, along with his running mate Alfredo Gaspar, a first-term legislator from Bolsonaro’s party accused of mishandling public funds and sexually assaulting a minor.

Gaspar’s selection followed months of fruitless negotiations in which Bolsonaro sought to assemble a broader coalition behind his candidacy—and possibly select a more esteemed running mate from another party. The failure of those talks reflected the doubts that many politicians on Brazil’s right have about Bolsonaro’s chances.

Michelle Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro’s stepmother and arguably the family’s most popular political figure after his father Jair, remained in Brasília to care for the former president, who is under house arrest for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Barred by the Supreme Court from participating in the campaign, the elder Bolsonaro instead addressed the crowd by dialing........

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