Brazil’s presidential election heads to a runoff, Flavio Bolsonaro wins the first round

Brazilians will head back to the polls on October 25, after none of the candidates secured the majority needed to win the first round of the presidential election.

Right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro came first in the first round, ahead of the incumbent president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. With around 99% of the votes counted, Bolsonaro had secured 47.03% of the vote, while Lula had 45.16%, the BBC reports.

However, the result was not enough for a first-round victory, meaning the two candidates will face each other again on October 25.

Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in organizing a failed coup attempt after losing the previous election.

The presidential race has been close. During the campaign, President Lula held a slight lead in the polls, while Flavio Bolsonaro’s strong first-round result exceeded expectations.

Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party also secured a strong result in elections for regional leaders and Congress, electing the largest number of governors, senators and federal representatives in the results so far. This is expected to give the party considerable strength in Congress.