Bolsonaro beats expectations in Brazil presidential vote, will face Lula in runoff | 4 Oct 2026 | Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio ‌Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday’s first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent. The election, which centered around the cost of living, corruption and insecurity in Brazilians’ daily lives, follows a string of wins across Latin America by right-wing parties aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro’s stronger-than-expected performance, at 47% of votes versus Lula’s 45%, is expected to buoy his campaign and may bolster Brazil’s currency and stock market, ​which have risen on the prospects of the business-friendly challenger.