Senator Flávio Bolsonaro led President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s first round but fell short of a majority, setting a 25 October runoff.
Brazil’s presidential election is going to a second round on 25 October after neither leading candidate reached the majority required to win outright on Sunday.
The Guardian, citing a count of 99.9 percent of votes, reported that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro had 47 percent and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 45.1 percent, or about 56.1 million votes to 53.8 million. Al Jazeera, citing the electoral court and wire reports with nearly 99 percent counted, put Bolsonaro at about 47 percent and Lula at 44.9 percent, with vote totals near 55.8 million and 53.2 million.
Bolsonaro, 45, is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula, 80, is seeking another term after defeating Jair Bolsonaro in 2022. Other right-wing candidates, including Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, finished well behind, according to the Guardian.
Lula told supporters the result was unexpected and that he had thought he could win in the first round. He said the campaign would focus on his rival’s record before the runoff.
The first-round margin was close enough that small differences in the near-complete count appeared across outlets. Both major accounts agree Bolsonaro finished first, Lula second, and a 25 October runoff is required.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Lula said the first-round result was unexpected and that he had expected to win outright.
- Bolsonaro enters the runoff ahead after a stronger showing than many pre-election polls had indicated, according to reports of the count.