With almost all votes counted, Flávio Bolsonaro had about 47 percent and President Lula about 45 percent in Brazil’s first round, short of a majority. A runoff is set for 25 October.
Flávio Bolsonaro won the first round of Brazil’s presidential election but fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff, BBC News reported. With almost all votes counted, Bolsonaro had 47 percent and incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 45 percent. The runoff is on 25 October.
Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for masterminding a failed coup after losing the 2022 election, the BBC reported. Sunday’s vote was closer than some campaign polling had suggested: the BBC said Lula had been slightly ahead during the campaign.
AFP, quoted by the BBC, reported Flávio Bolsonaro saying he was happy with the possibility that Brazil would choose a modern government in three weeks. Lula called the outcome unexpected and said the race was not over.
Other candidates were eliminated. The Guardian’s early count, when only 10.9 percent of districts had reported, is not the final picture; the near-complete BBC figures are the ones used here.
The second round is a two-candidate race. BBC noted that some eliminated candidates were right-wing alternatives, which could matter for where their voters go on 25 October.
People Sentiments Mixed
- BBC, citing AFP, reported Flávio Bolsonaro said he was happy with the possibility of a modern government in three weeks.
- BBC reported Lula called the first-round outcome unexpected and said the race was not over.