Presidential Elections Are Getting Underway In Brazil
- 4.10.2026, 13:37
The main contest will be between the country's current leader and the son of the convicted former president.
The first round of the presidential election will take place in Brazil on Sunday.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a second round will be held on October 25, according to “Interfax”.
The leading contenders among the 13 candidates for the presidency are incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro — the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and a member of the right-wing Liberal Party. Flavio Bolsonaro accuses Lula da Silva of causing losses to state-owned companies and of being unwilling to combat organized crime. Bolsonaro also advocates for closer cooperation with the current U.S. administration.
Lula da Silva is a member of the center-left Workers’ Party. He promises that, if re-elected, he will put an end to the country’s problems; in particular, he promises to invest in healthcare, education, and housing construction. In late September, the campaign team of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva released a video in which it accused U.S. President Donald Trump of attempting to colonize Brazil by supporting Jair Bolsonaro.
If he wins, Lula da Silva will remain head of state for a fourth term. In addition to his current term, he served as president from 2003 to 2011.
According to an AtlasIntel poll conducted in late September, 45.3% of respondents are ready to vote for Lula da Silva in the first round of the election, while 42.2% support Bolsonaro.
According to the same poll, if a runoff were held, Bolsonaro would win, though his lead over the incumbent president would be minimal: 47.7% would vote for the senator, and 47.6% for Lula da Silva.
However, earlier polls published in Brazil showed the incumbent president holding a slight lead in a potential runoff.
In September 2025, the Brazilian Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison on charges of “conspiracy to overthrow the government” following his defeat in the 2022 election. He lost to Lula at that time. Bolsonaro rejected the charges and called the case political persecution. Following his defeat, the former president’s supporters stormed the buildings of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.