Brazils presidential election between Bolsonaro, Lulu heads to runoff after both fail to garner a majority of votes
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Sen.Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S.
President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off in a runoff Oct.25 for the top job of Latin America’s powerhouse economy after neither won a majority in Sunday’s vote.The country’s electoral court in Brasilia said neither the 80-year-old incumbent, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, nor the 45-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro would garner the majority vote needed for an outright win.The court had Bolsonaro with just over 55.8 million votes to Lula’s nearly 53.2 million.
Both candidates were poised to address supporters.The next presidential term is set to begin Jan.5, 2027.The winner will be in charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million.
A win for Bolsonaro would increase U.S.influence in Latin America.
If Lula wins, Brazil will keep its distance from Washington and continue to deepen its relationship with China.Both Lula and Bolsonaro will have three weeks to reach moderate voters who did not support them in the first round.Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, two candidates who garnered about 5.3 million votes combined Sunday, have previously said they will not endorse either in the runoff.In the campaign ahead, Lula is expected to try to capitalize on the popularity of his social policies and his rival’s many legal woes.While the once widely popular Lula saw his approval ratings plummet during his third term, standing up to the U.S.
gave him a boost.And he still enjoys a strong base of supporters who credit his social policies for improving millions of Brazilians’ lives.But the incumbent faces a tough battle because of an affordability crisis and a corruption scandal that ensnared the same justice who led the investigation into Bolsonaro.Bolsonaro will likely lean into his messaging on affordability and link the president to corruption scandals.He has promised to crack down on Braz...