Conservative wave hits roadblock in Brazil as Lula holds off Bolsonaro challenge
Incumbent leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated conservative Sen.Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday's presidential runoff, according to The Associated Press.
The deeply polarized nation returned to the polls for a second round runoff on Sunday.Bolsonaro narrowly won the first round on Oct.4, with 47% of the vote, to Lula's 45%, but fell short of the 50% majority required to win the election outright.BRAZIL BECOMES NEXT TEST FOR LATIN AMERICA’S SURGING CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENTThe victory marks an unprecedented fourth presidential term for Lula, and a remarkable comeback victory.
The result is even more surprising given that Bolsonaro had led, albeit by tight margins, in recent polling, and Brazil had recently elected a conservative congress aligned with the Bolsonaro agenda.Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, left, and Sen.Flávio Bolsonaro, right, face off in a split presidential election runoff.
(Getty Images )Earlier in the day, Lula voted in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo, while Bolsonaro voted in the north of Rio de Janeiro, the state he represents in the Senate.The first vote tallies came in from Brazilians living overseas, where Lula won a decisive victory in Germany, and Bolsonaro won an overwhelming victory in Japan.BRAZIL’S RAPID ELECTION COUNT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON VOTING SECURITY AHEAD OF US MIDTERMSWhile Bolsonaro performed well in his southern electoral strongholds, winning by comfortable margins in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul, he won those states by smaller margins than in the first round.His turnout in the south was not enough to overcome Lula's famed Northeastern firewall; a reflection of the Workers Party dominance in the country's populous "Nordeste" region.Bolsonaro also turned in a disappointing performance in Minas Gerais, which geographically and politically straddles the Brazilian north/south divide.Often referred to as the nation's quintessential bellwether state, it is fair to s...