Brazil heads to Oct. 25 runoff with Lula, Bolsonaro in tight race
Why it matters: The vote could either extend Lula’s long hold on the left or deepen a rightward shift in Brazil and Latin America.
Brazil heads into Sunday’s presidential runoff with voter turnout energy rising and polls showing a race too close to call between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro. Rallies for both candidates have drawn tens of thousands in major cities and on university campuses ahead of the Oct. 25 vote. The source article says Bolsonaro finished ahead of Lula in the first round on Oct. 4, while some recent surveys show the gap narrowing. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term and has framed the election as his last. A Bolsonaro win, NPR reported, would strengthen a broader conservative advance across Latin America.