Flávio Bolsonaro leads Lula as Brazil heads to runoff

Flávio Bolsonaro led Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s first-round presidential vote, with 47.03% of valid ballots to Lula’s 45.16%, according to the Superior Electoral Court. Neither candidate won an outright majority, and the result sends them to a runoff scheduled for October 25, 2026. The first-round tally gives Flávio, a senator and the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a lead of 1.87 percentage points. It does not decide who will become president. Voters will choose between the two candidates in the runoff, and the winner remains unknown. Lula, seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term, has held office since 2023. Flávio entered the race after his father, who is barred from holding elected office, backed his candidacy. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence following his conviction for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election, according to the reports. Flávio has pledged to pardon his father if elected, though the sources do not establish whether he could or would do so. The first-round result also leaves open questions about the direction of the next government.