Brazil Elections Head to Runoff Between Lula and Bolsonaro Son

Brazil held presidential elections on Sunday, with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro winning the first round with just over 47% of the vote. This result was enough to secure the position of President, but not enough to avoid a runoff against current President Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva of the Workers' Party, who received nearly 45% of the votes. Both candidates will compete in a runoff on October 25. The winner will take office on January 1, 2027, serving until December 2030.

Lula, who is seeking a record fourth presidential term, has lost previous elections where he was either reelected or faced competition from another candidate. The center-left president's defeat marks a trend in Brazil's post-pandemic elections, where incumbents have lost the majority of elections. Other candidates in the race garnered significantly fewer votes, with Augusto Cury from the centrist Avante party coming in third with almost 3%.

The election also saw Brazilians voting for the lower house, two-thirds of the Senate, and governors for all 26 states, along with Brasília. To win a gubernatorial race, candidates need to secure 50% of the vote, with most states requiring a runoff to determine the winner. Notably, Tarcísio de Freitas, an ally of Bolsonaro, won his reelection in San Pablo with nearly 67% of the vote.