Brazil Decides Next President in Tight Runoff Between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro

Brazilians are voting on Sunday in a presidential runoff election that pits incumbent leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing challenger Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Mr. Lula is seeking a fourth overall term in office and hopes for a turnaround after finishing second in the first round behind the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Final polls show both candidates neck-and-neck in this electoral battle.

The Candidates

Mr. Lula, who turns 81 next week and represents the Workers' Party, has pitched himself as a defender against democratic backsliding and U.S. interference while promising to expand social protections. His opponent, 45-year-old Flavio Bolsonaro, has vowed to crack down on crime, slash government spending, and hand Brazil to the Lord Jesus Christ. Flavio has pitched himself as more moderate than his father, but promised his first act in office will be to free Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election.

Campaign Issues

During the campaign, voters faced a high cost of living and concerns over crime alongside praise for Mr. Lula's social welfare programs that lifted millions out of poverty and hunger. Critics instead want the government to rein in spending. Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest level in four decades under Mr. Lula, though climate change barely featured in the campaign despite recent fires fueled by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The race also saw a fierce social media battle, with Mr. Lula's campaign accusing Meta of algorithmic manipulation, a claim denied by the tech giant.

Context

Whoever wins Sunday's runoff, political analysts warn that Brazil faces a bruising political aftermath marked by potential legislative battles or institutional clashes. The election determines whether Latin America's largest nation remains one of the region's few leftist governments or shifts to the right.