Brazilians vote in tight runoff election between incumbent Lula and Bolsonaro Jr.

Brazilians voted on Sunday in a tight runoff election between leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro. The race is dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety, and accusations of US meddling. Polls show the candidates practically tied. Bolsonaro led the first round with 47% to Lula's 45%.

Brazilians voted on Sunday in a tight runoff election that could move Latin America's largest nation sharply rightward, bringing it closer to the United States as part of a broader conservative shift across the region. The runoff pits leftist, anti-Israel President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing, pro-Israel Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio scored a major upset at the start of the month by defying pollsters to lead voting in the first round. A victory for Bolsonaro would extend a wave of right-wing victories for Latin American candidates friendly to US President Donald Trump, while a fourth mandate for Lula would be a disappointment in Washington. The election race has been dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling. It has also been colored by fallout from Jair Bolsonaro's 2025 conviction for plotting a 2022 coup, with Flavio pledging to free his father if elected. Trump has called the case a "witch hunt" and imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazil in 2025, later watered down, with new levies this year. Lula has cast the Trump administration's proximity to the Bolsonaro clan as an attempt to sway the election. On economic issues, despite falling inequality and unemployment, Lula has struggled to win over an electorate grappling with high living costs and heavy household debt. Bolsonaro has promised a heavy-handed approach to fighting crime. Polls show the candidates practically tied. Historical precedent favors Bolsonaro, as no candidate has ever won the presidency after coming second in the first-round vote. Bolsonaro picked up 47% of ballots cast in the first round, while Lula trailed with 45%.