WorldPosted at: Oct 25 2026 6:30PM


Brazil votes in tense runoff as Lula faces Bolsonaro’s son in fight for presidency

Brasilia, Oct 25 (UNI) Polls opened across Brazil on Sunday in a closely contested presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and conservative Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, with the election set to determine whether the country’s left returns to power for another term or the political dynasty of former President Jair Bolsonaro makes a comeback.
Lula, 80, of the Workers’ Party is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term, while Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, is aiming to capitalise on his first-round victory on October 4, when he secured 47 per cent of valid votes against Lula’s 45 per cent. Neither candidate won an outright majority, forcing a runoff.
The race has tightened since the first round, with a Datafolha poll putting both candidates at 50 per cent of valid votes, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the outcome.
Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has emerged as the political heir to his father, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat. Flavio has pledged to pardon his father if elected.
The senator has campaigned on promises to crack down on organised crime, cut taxes and public spending, and pursue a more conservative agenda. He has also accused Lula’s Workers’ Party of corruption, seeking to capitalise on longstanding public anger over financial scandals linked to the party.
Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010 before returning to power in 2023, has framed the election as a choice between protecting democratic institutions and risking a return to the political approach associated with the Bolsonaro family.
His campaign has sought to mobilise supporters after around 33 million voters did not cast ballots in the first round, with abstention seen as a key factor in the runoff.
Speaking at a rally in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, Lula described the election as a matter of national sovereignty, contrasting his commitment to Brazil with what he portrayed as Bolsonaro’s closeness to the United States.
“We’re going to win the election for one simple reason: it’s true that the people want change, but they want to move forward. They don’t want to go backward,” he told supporters.
The campaign has unfolded against a backdrop of strained relations between Lula’s government and US President Donald Trump’s administration. Lula has insisted that Brazil would not become subordinate to any foreign power, while Flavio Bolsonaro has argued that closer cooperation with Washington would help combat powerful criminal gangs.
The election has also been shaped by concerns over the cost of living, public security and corruption, issues that remain central to voters’ daily lives.
More than 150 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots electronically across Brazil’s 26 states and the Federal District. Polls are scheduled to close at 5 pm Brasilia time, with preliminary results expected shortly afterwards.
A victory for Flavio Bolsonaro would mark a return to power for the right and strengthen the influence of the Bolsonaro family in Brazilian politics. A Lula victory would extend the veteran leftist leader’s political comeback and give his Workers’ Party another term in office.
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