Lula won the first round of Brazil’s presidential election yesterday and should beat Jair Bolsonaro in the runoff later this month. But Bolsonaro and his allies outperformed expectations — and Brazil’s far right remains a potent threat to democracy.
By Olavo Passos de Souza, Jacobin
Yesterday, October 2, Brazilians went to the polling booths to decide their next president, 27 governors, a third of the Senate, 513 congresspeople, and thousands of state and local officials.
During the campaign, the left-wing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led in all polls against the far-right incumbent, President Jair Bolsonaro. Though victory in the first round for Lula was never guaranteed, analysts were confident that Lula would hold a wide margin over his opponent, with other important positions, such as the governorships of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, also in play to be retaken by the Left.
However, Bolsonaro outperformed his own polling scores and secured a second-round runoff, pulling further ahead than expected in key states such as São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio. By the end of the day, Lula had 48.4 percent of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 43.2 percent.
Recent Posts
Trump’s Back-and-Forth Threats on Iran Are Psychological Warfare
Take Action NowAs Trump threatens Iran yet again, Congress continues to abdicate its responsibility to rein in war.By Hanieh Jodat, Truthout As…
U.S. Media Keen on Iranian Unrest—Less So on U.S. and Israel’s Role in It
Take Action Now Democrats have a rare moment of leverage to pass legislation ending qualified immunity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement…
The Senate Must Not Fund ICE, A Zero Hour Conversation With Sonali Kolhatkar
Take Action Now “We’ve seen a really sharp change in how the public views immigration enforcement, particularly ice, to the point where…
How Democrats Can End Qualified Immunity for ICE Agents
Take Action Now Democrats have a rare moment of leverage to pass legislation ending qualified immunity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement…