Who is leading the 2026 Brazilian general election?

General elections were held in Brazil on October 4, 2026, to choose the president, vice president, National Congress members, state governors, and other local positions. Because no presidential candidate won a majority in the first round, incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senator Flávio Bolsonaro advanced to a runoff. State-level gubernatorial races also required second-round runoffs where no candidate secured over half the votes.

What we know

• General elections were held in Brazil on October 4, 2026, to elect the president, vice president, National Congress members, governors, vice governors, legislative assemblies, and the district council of Fernando de Noronha. [2]
• In the presidential first round, senator Flávio Bolsonaro led with 47% of the vote, while incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received 45%. [2]
• Flávio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advanced to a runoff scheduled for October 25, 2026, because neither won a majority of votes in the first round. [2]
• Gubernatorial elections took place across Brazilian states and the Federal District on October 4, 2026, with second rounds scheduled for October 25 where necessary. [4]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do opinion polls track Brazilian voting intentions?
• a case in pointWhat happens during Brazilian state gubernatorial elections?
• compared withHow did Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva win his first election in 2002?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the role of the Superior Electoral Court in Brazil?
• what followedWhat are the duties of the National Congress of Brazil?
• an unexpected connectionWhy is Fernando de Noronha important in Brazilian elections?Alongside massive presidential and gubernatorial races across vast states, voters also elect the local district council of the small archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

Sources

• [1]2026 Brazilian general election (Wikidata Q115632178) · CC0 1.0
• [2]2026 Brazilian general election · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Opinion polling for the 2026 Brazilian presidential election · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]2026 Brazilian gubernatorial elections · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]2002 Brazilian general election · CC BY-SA 4.0