Brazil‘s presidential race is heading to a runoff after right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro outperformed polls to finish ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round. Both candidates now have three weeks to convince voters before a second-round showdown later this month. Reuters‘ Lisandra Paraguassu reports from Sao Paulo.
Archiv: Brasilien Präsidentschaftswahlen 2026 / Brazil 2026 presidential election
Lula leads Bolsonaro by 3 points in Brazil runoff scenario, Datafolha poll shows
(October 2, 2026)
In a simulated runoff, Lula would receive 48% of the vote compared with 45% for Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. A previous Datafolha poll had Lula leading Bolsonaro by 47% to 45%.
Flávio Bolsonaro inherited his father’s right-wing movement. Can he win Brazil’s presidency?
Flávio played recordings of the former president, promised to continue his legacy and said he had “humbly” accepted the mission his father had entrusted to him.
Convicted of more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after his 2022 electoral defeat, Jair Bolsonaro has entrusted Flávio with continuing his legacy, while maintaining his innocence and hoping that his son’s path to the presidential palace could also lead to his own freedom.