Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula as Brazil’s presidential election heads to runoff
Brazil’s presidential election will go to an October 25 runoff after right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro finished narrowly ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s first round.
Bolsonaro received 47.03% of the valid vote, compared with 45.16% for Lula, according to results cited by several outlets. Neither secured the majority required to win outright. The result defied opinion polls that had placed Lula ahead and left the incumbent seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term.
“I confess to you that I was convinced I would win the election in the first round,” Lula told supporters, while insisting the runoff would begin a new campaign. Bolsonaro described the vote as a demand for change and said it marked the end of the Workers’ Party era.
The 45-year-old senator is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence following his conviction over …