Pollster projects Lula to defeat Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential runoff
Pollster Datafolha projects that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will win the presidential election runoff, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth non-consecutive term. With over 78% of ballots counted, Lula led with 51.21% support to Bolsonaro's 48.79%, with higher-than-expected turnout reportedly boosting Lula. Pollster AtlasIntel also projected Lula's re-election, though the federal electoral court has not yet officially called the race. Lula allies were already claiming victory on social media. Conservative candidates typically perform well early in the count, but Lula retook the lead around 8:30 p.m. as votes from poorer northeastern states arrived.