Brazil Heads to Runoff After Bolsonaro Took 47% to Lula's 45%
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 25
Brazil Heads to Runoff After Bolsonaro Took 47% to Lula's 45%
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 25
Summary
158 million Brazilian voters head into a presidential runoff Sunday after Flavio Bolsonaro beat incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 47% to 45% in the first round, forcing a second vote.
Recent polls still show a tight race, but Bolsonaro enters with momentum after outperforming forecasts and securing endorsements from three of the four major eliminated candidates.
Congressional results also favored Bolsonaro's camp, setting up one of Brazil's most conservative legislatures in years and giving him a friendlier governing path while limiting Lula's room to maneuver.
The contest has become a test of Latin America's rightward shift after conservative wins across Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
Both candidates carry heavy baggage into the runoff: Lula faces voter fatigue after seven presidential bids, while Flavio Bolsonaro must overcome resistance to another Bolsonaro as he campaigns under the shadow of his father's 27-year sentence.