Brazil presidential election heads to runoff after Bolsonaro and Lula fail to win majority vote

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro and incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will meet in an Oct. 25 second round after neither gained an outright majority. With nearly all ballots counted, election authorities credited Bolsonaro with a little more than 56 million votes, compared with 53.7 million for Lula.

Bolsonaro said the result showed voters sought a shift, declaring "Brazil wants change" and predicting the close of his rival party's dominance. Lula said "Tomorrow we start a new campaign" and expressed confidence in the decisive round, saying the contest would turn on competing governing plans.

The outcome carries broad regional implications. Lula has accused Washington of favoring Bolsonaro through tariffs, a visa revocation for Brazil's ambassador, and sanctions on officials and a Supreme Court justice. A Bolsonaro victory would likely expand U.S. influence in Latin America, while a Lula victory would mean continued distance from Washington and closer ties with China.

Both contenders now have about three weeks to appeal to moderates who backed other candidates in the first round. Two candidates with moderate backing, Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos, have previously said they would not support either finalist in the runoff.

Lula is expected to emphasize his social programs and his opponent's legal troubles, but faces pressure over living costs and a corruption scandal involving the justice who investigated Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has pledged action against criminal groups, better agreements with the Trump administration on rare minerals, and efforts to free his father and restore him to politics. Polls suggest about half the country views each side unfavorably, four years after Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro by about 2.1 million votes.