Overview
- Lula was officially nominated by the Workers' Party on Sunday, Aug. 2, and plans to run with former vice president Geraldo Alckmin again.
- The Liberal Party last week chose Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of jailed ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, as its candidate and main challenger.
- Recent polls show a tight runoff race with Lula holding about 48% and Flávio Bolsonaro about 43% in voting intention.
- Campaign tensions have risen because Jair Bolsonaro was convicted for a planned coup and is under house arrest, an AI-generated video linked to him is being probed by election authorities, and an appearance by Argentina’s president Javier Milei at a PL event provoked diplomatic friction.
- The outcome will shape policy on the economy and natural resources and could influence regional politics, with the first round set for Oct. 4 and a runoff on Oct. 25 if no candidate wins an absolute majority.