Flavio Bolsonaro leads incumbent Lula in Brazil's presidential election first round

Conservative candidate Flavio Bolsonaro unexpectedly secured first place in Brazil's presidential election first round, setting up an October 25 runoff against incumbent left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Key points

• Flavio Bolsonaro received 47.06% of the vote, while incumbent president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva garnered 45.12%.
• The runoff election is scheduled to take place on October 25.
• Flavio Bolsonaro was designated as a candidate after his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted of a coup attempt against Lula in 2022.
• The legislative elections saw strong gains for conservative candidates, including the election of Michelle Bolsonaro and Carlos Bolsonaro.

Why it matters

The surprising first-round result highlights deep political polarization in Brazil and points toward a potential shift toward conservatism in Latin America's largest economy.