With nearly all first-round votes counted, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro led President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but fell short of an outright majority. The two meet again on 25 October.
Brazil's presidential election is going to a second round on 25 October after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva without an outright majority. The Guardian reported that, with 99.9 percent of votes counted, Bolsonaro had 47 percent and Lula 45.1 percent. Bolsonaro received 56.1 million votes to Lula's 53.8 million.
Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula, 80, told supporters the result was unexpected and that he had been convinced he would win in the first round. He said Bolsonaro's past would become clearer to voters before the runoff.
Other right-wing candidates finished well behind. The Guardian reported Ronaldo Caiado on 2.1 percent and Renan Santos on 2.2 percent, votes that could matter if they move toward Bolsonaro in the second round. The Washington Post described the pairing as a rematch of sorts with the 2022 contest, when Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro.
The first round does not decide the presidency. Brazilian election rules require a majority, so the two leading candidates return to the ballot on 25 October. Neither campaign has published a detailed second-round platform in the immediate result coverage.
Turnout and regional breakdowns were still being parsed by Brazilian outlets as international papers led with the runoff. The verified national picture is a narrow first-round lead for Flávio Bolsonaro and a second round in three weeks.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Lula called the first-round result unexpected
- The Guardian reported Bolsonaro supporters treating the lead as a strong showing
- Washington Post described celebration among Bolsonaro supporters in Porto Alegre as partial results came in