Brazil heads to runoff as Flavio Bolsonaro tops first round
Brazil’s presidential election will go to a runoff on October 25. Right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro finished first on Sunday, ahead of leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
With more than 97 per cent of votes counted, Bolsonaro had about 47 per cent and Lula about 44.7 per cent, election authorities said. Neither crossed the 50 per cent needed for an outright win.
The result stunned pollsters. Final surveys had shown Lula narrowly ahead or the race tied. Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump.
He called his lead “the end of the PT era,” referring to Lula’s Workers’ Party. Lula admitted surprise: “I was convinced I would win the election in the first round,” he told supporters.
About 160 million Brazilians were eligible to vote. The runoff winner takes office on January 5, 2027, for a term shaped by corruption scandals, polarisation and voter fatigue.
Khabar 24h Editorial Desk — our explainers are prepared by the Khabar 24h editorial team using AI-assisted research tools, and every piece is reviewed by a human editor before publishing. We do not claim original reporting: our work is turning complex topics into simple, accurate summaries. Spotted an error? Write to contact@khabar24h.com — our corrections policy aims for same-day review.
More from this author →
Leave a Reply