Brazil’s Lula and Bolsonaro close campaigns ahead of critical election

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters. Published On 4 Oct 20264 Oct 2026.

Key points

• The 45-year-old is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
• When he beat the elder Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points, it is a far tighter race than Lula's last victory in 2022.
• Brazil's Supreme Court authorised federal police in April to investigate whether Flavio Bolsonaro created defamatory statements concerning Lula.
• Beyond the presidency, Brazil's almost 160 million registered voters will additionally choose lawmakers, governors and senators on Sunday.
• Bolsonaro led a motorcycle caravan through towns in Sao Paulo state, echoing the campaign style of his father, before rallying afterwards in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro have wrapped up their election campaigns, each voicing confidence in victory ahead of Sunday's tightly contested first-round presidential vote.

Lula, 80, closed his re-election bid on Saturday with a march through Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic powerhouse, drawing what his campaign called a record crowd for a closing rally.

"Tomorrow, we're going to win the elections in the first round, " he informed supporters, describing Sunday's vote as a choice between "democracy and barbarism" and promising to "defeat the far right".

He has additionally framed the election as a test of Brazil's sovereignty, warning against "meddling" by Washington.

Bolsonaro led a motorcycle caravan through towns in Sao Paulo state, echoing the campaign style of his father, before rallying afterwards in Rio de Janeiro. "I am convinced that everything is in place for us to win this election in the first round, " he remarked.

In practice, the 45-year-old is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of US President Donald Trump. The former leader, 71, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn his 2022 election loss to Lula.

In practice, the younger Bolsonaro was photographed at his rally holding a portrait of his father.

Trump has not formally endorsed Bolsonaro but has remarked he is watching the election "very closely", a level of US interest that has become a flashpoint in the campaign.

While some Bolsonaro supporters, frustrated by the cost of living, say they would welcome US pressure if it supported force change at home, lula's supporters have seized on it as evidence Washington is trying to meddle in the elections.

Polls published on Saturday suggested Lula was still ahead but his lead was narrowing, with neither candidate probable to win outright on Sunday. Such a result would send the race to a run-off on October 25 between the two frontrunners, a contest polls suggest would additionally be close.

Meanwhile, the Bolsonaro campaign has faced scrutiny over a film-funding scandal. Flavio Bolsonaro is under investigation over financing for Dark Horse, a biopic regarding his father, bankrolled by a jailed banker tied to one of Brazil's biggest financial scandals.

Bolsonaro has pledged to seek his father's release from prison if elected, and has echoed his father's unsubstantiated claims questioning the reliability of Brazil's electronic voting system. It analysts say could be laying the groundwork to contest the result if he loses.

Beyond the presidency, Brazil's almost 160 million registered voters will additionally choose lawmakers, governors and senators on Sunday. Right-wing candidates have gained ground in Latin America in recent months.

Taken together, the developments around brazil's Lula and Bolsonaro close campaigns ahead of critical election point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.