Author: Josefina Martina Pardo
Bolsonaro won the first round with 47.03% of the vote, but Brazil's electoral system requires over 50% to secure an outright victory. Consequently, Lula da Silva, having garnered 45.17%, will have the chance to contest the presidency in a runoff on October 25.
In his initial remarks, Lula expressed surprise at the outcome, stating that it was not what he had expected, but emphasized that “tomorrow, a new campaign begins.”
Meanwhile, incumbent Senator Flávio Bolsonaro gave a brief statement to the press, declaring:
“I am very pleased with the result; nearly 56 million Brazilians gave me this vote of confidence. It is a sign that Brazil wants change.”
Liberal Party (PL) leader Bolsonaro offered his assessment on the future of Lula's Workers' Party (PT), declaring it finished after the election results were announced.
Another notable takeaway from this election was the abstention rate, which stood at just 21.08% of the total electorate. This closely mirrored the 2022 election figures (20.95%), demonstrating stable voter participation.
Beyond the presidential race, voters decided 27 governorships, 513 federal deputy seats, and 54 seats in the Senate.
Although the PL will lack an outright majority in either chamber and will need coalitions to pass legislation and reforms should it win the runoff, it secured 19 of the 54 contested Senate seats, expanding its presence to 28 out of 81 seats. It will enter the next legislative session as the largest single party bloc, holding 34.6% of the upper house. The PT will hold nine seats and the MDB eight. With 28 senators, the PL alone controls more than a third of the Senate.
In the lower house, the PL captured 121 of the 513 seats, gaining 24 seats compared to its 2022 tally. The Brazil of Hope Federation—comprising the PT, PCdoB, and PV—came in second with 82 deputies.
The PL also claimed six governorships in the first round, the highest total of any party. The PSD secured four, while the PP, PT, and Republicanos won three each.
Seven Brazilian states will decide their governors in the October 25 runoff. The general elections left runoffs pending in Acre, Amazonas, the Federal District, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, and Tocantins, where no candidate crossed the 50% threshold.
Both candidates are now gearing up for the final stretch of the campaign to secure the presidency of South America's most influential nation.
