Brazil’s presidential election will go to a runoff on October 25. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro led the first round with about 47% of valid votes. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took about 45%.

Bolsonaro received roughly 56.1 million votes. Lula got about 53.9 million. The 1.9-point margin is the smallest between the top two in a first round since 1989.

Neither candidate crossed the 50% threshold needed for an outright win. The result defied the final pre-election polls. Datafolha had given Lula 45% and Bolsonaro 42% of valid votes.

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth term. Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party also won the most seats in both chambers of Congress.

Runoff polls point to a close race. The other first-round candidates won about 8% of votes combined. Their voters are expected to decide the outcome. Most of them lean to the right.

The runoff will shape Brazil’s direction for years. Bolsonaro is seen as a strong ally of the US. Lula has pursued a more independent foreign policy.