Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula da Silva to Face Off in Runoff

Brazil's presidential election will enter a second round on October 25, 2026, as Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerged as the top candidates in the first-round vote held on October 6. Flávio Bolsonaro, representing the Liberal Party, secured 47.03% of valid votes, totaling over 56 million, while Lula, from the Workers’ Party, received 45.16%, amounting to approximately 53.9 million votes.

The results were closer than anticipated, with Flávio finishing ahead by less than two percentage points. This runoff will be significant as it pits the political forces of Lula's Workers’ Party against the Bolsonaro family's conservative movement.

Flávio, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, is contesting the presidency for the first time, while Lula, 80, is seeking his fourth non-consecutive term after returning to power in 2023. The election results also indicated a shift in Brazil's congressional landscape, with Bolsonaro's Liberal Party emerging as the largest party, increasing its Senate representation from 15 to 28 seats.