Brazil's presidential race will proceed to a runoff after far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, narrowly outpaced incumbent leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round.
With 99.9% of votes counted, Flávio Bolsonaro secured 47% of the vote, winning 56.1 million ballots. Lula received 45.1%, or 53.8 million votes. Neither candidate reached the outright majority required to win in a single round. The two will face a runoff on 25 October.
According to The Guardian, Lula called the result "unexpected." Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, performed stronger than anticipated. The outcome reflects the continued electoral strength of the Bolsonaro political movement in Brazil despite Jair Bolsonaro's 2022 election loss and subsequent political disgracing.
The runoff presents a stark ideological choice for Brazilian voters. Flávio Bolsonaro represents the far-right faction that backed his father's presidency and has contested the legitimacy of Lula's 2022 victory. Lula, 80, leads the Workers' Party and returned to office after his 2018 defeat to Jair Bolsonaro. The incumbent now faces a significant challenge to retain his position against his younger rival's stronger-than-expected showing.