Brazil Elections Head to Runoff Between Lula and Bolsonaro Son

Brazil Elections Head to Runoff Between Lula and Bolsonaro Son - The New York Times

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Lula and Bolsonaro Son Head to Runoff for Brazil’s Presidency

Neither President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva nor his top challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, won a majority of votes in the first round, and the race appeared very close.

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*President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro at election campaign rallies in São Paulo, Brazil.*

*Victor Moriyama for The New York Times*

By Ana Ionova and Adam B. Ellick

Ana Ionova reported from Rio de Janeiro and Adam B. Ellick from São Paulo.

Oct. 4, 2026Updated 8:55 p.m. ET

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Brazil’s heated presidential election was forced into a runoff on Sunday, according to election officials, with the right-wing challenger leading over the leftist incumbent in a race that may have sweeping consequences far beyond the country.

The challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, received 47.3 percent of the vote, compared with 44.8 percent for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. With over 95 percent of the ballots counted, neither succeeded in capturing the more than the 50 percent needed for outright victory.

The two candidates will now face each other head-on in an Oct. 25 runoff. But Mr. Bolsonaro, son of a former president imprisoned for attempting a coup after losing the last election, appeared to be closing in on his goal.

If Mr. Bolsonaro ousts Mr. Lula in the runoff, it will mark the biggest win yet for Latin America’s ascendant right. It will also usher in to power an enthusiastic Trump administration ally who has signaled that he is willing to help Washington advance its goal of dominance in the region.

Candidates aligned with President Trump on issues like fighting drug gangs and “woke ideology” have won the last seven elections in the region, with Brazil the biggest remaining prize.

If Mr. Lula succeeds in rebounding from Sunday’s setback, it may been seen as a rebuke to the Latin American right. If nothing else, a Lula victory would slow the right’s spectacular march across the continent and complicate Mr. Trump’s plans.

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