Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro close campaigns ahead of tight Brazilian presidential election

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro concluded their presidential election campaigns on Saturday ahead of Sunday's vote. According to reports from Al Jazeera, DW, and France 24, both candidates held final campaign events in the state of Sao Paulo, with polls showing a close race that is expected to result in a second-round runoff. [1][2][3]

France 24 reported that the state of Sao Paulo accounts for a fifth of Brazil's total electorate. Al Jazeera noted that the 80-year-old Lula ended his re-election campaign on Saturday with a march through the city of Sao Paulo. Both candidates expressed confidence in winning the first-round election, as Al Jazeera reported. [2][3]

DW reported that Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term as president, while Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is seeking to continue the political movement led by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. According to Reuters and Al Jazeera, recent survey results from CNT and MDA showed that Lula's lead over Bolsonaro has narrowed. [1][2][7]

Lula has served as president of Brazil since 2023, having previously held the office from 2003 to 2011. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Sunday's vote marks the first round of the national election, with neither candidate expected to gain an outright victory to avoid a runoff. [1][2][11][14]