Brazil's runoff election pits Lula against Bolsonaro's son
Brazil goes to a second round of elections on Sunday, with polls showing a dead heat between incumbent President Lula da Silva and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, each at 50 percent. The outcome will determine whether Brazil remains one of South America's few left-led nations or shifts to a right-wing government. Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, received his father's political blessing from a prison cell in late 2025. He has promised harsher penalties, lower taxes, and looser gun laws, and is described by Donald Trump as a "smart young man who loves his country." Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for a 2022 coup attempt, and his son has faced corruption investigations. Nearly all voters identifying as Bolsonaro supporters now back Flávio, though his campaign tries to present him as his own politician rather than relying on the family name.