But Temer, 77, a veteran politician of the center-right, has had a tumultuous presidency, spending much of the past year fending off criminal charges of corruption and obstruction of justice.

Winning a new term would allow Temer to maintain the special legal standing afforded to senior government officials, which has shielded him from trial. On two occasions last year, Congress voted to protect him from facing charges before the Supreme Court.

Temer had said as recently as last month that he did not intend to run. But in this weekend’s interview with the newsmagazine Istoé, Temer said he came to believe he needed to defend his legacy.

“I’ve fixed a country that was broken,” said Temer, who leads the Brazilian Democratic Movement party. “I’m proud of what I’ve done and I need to show what’s being done. If I’m not in the fray, what’s going to happen is that all the candidates will go after me.”

In polls, Temer’s approval ratings have been mired in the single digits for many months.

Temer’s remarks are the latest development in a volatile race. The front-runner, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, appears likely to go to jail before he can formally register his candidacy, as a result of a corruption conviction handed down last year.

Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right lawmaker regarded as a fringe politician until recently, is running second in the polls.

Prominent allies of Temer are also considering candidacies. They include Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles and House Speaker Rodrigo Maia, a key supporter of the president in Congress. Temer’s bid may complicate efforts of centrist parties to coalesce around a candidate.

Alberto Carlos Almeida, a political scientist who runs a polling organization, said Temer may yet backtrack on his intention to run. The deadline to register a candidacy is August.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

MANUELA ANDREONI © 2018 The New York Times