Brazil’s presidential election will go to a second round after far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro emerged ahead of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but failed to secure enough votes to win outright.
With 99.9% of the votes counted, Bolsonaro had received 47% of the vote, compared with Lula’s 45.1%. The two candidates will face each other again in a decisive runoff scheduled for 25 October.
The result represents a stronger-than-expected performance for Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He received about 56.1 million votes, while Lula secured approximately 53.8 million.
Bolsonaro is expected to benefit from support from other right-wing candidates who were eliminated in the first round. Ronaldo Caiado received 2.1% of the vote, while Renan Santos won 2.2%, creating a significant pool of voters who could influence the runoff.
The election also saw strong gains by Bolsonaro-aligned politicians across Brazil. Jair Bolsonaro’s son Carlos Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, won Senate seats, while his youngest son, Jair Renan, was elected to the lower house of Congress.
Former infrastructure minister Tarcísio de Freitas was also re-elected governor of São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous and economically important state. Of the 54 senators elected, 34 came from right-wing or far-right parties.
Speaking to supporters in Brasília, Flávio Bolsonaro described the result as signalling what he called “the end of an era” for Lula’s Workers’ Party. He contrasted his campaign with Lula’s long political career, saying he was focused on Brazil’s future rather than political power.
The runoff is expected to be closely contested, with both candidates seeking to attract voters from eliminated candidates and consolidate support ahead of the final vote.
