Brazil's presidential campaign officially began Sunday with incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and opposition Senator Flávio Bolsonaro launching their bids from symbolically significant locations in their respective political strongholds.
Lula, 80, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, held his opening rally at Estadio Municipal Primero de Mayo in São Bernardo do Campo, outside São Paulo. The venue carries historical weight as the birthplace of his labor activism and the site of mass demonstrations he led during Brazil's military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. The event, marked by red symbolism, drew thousands of Workers' Party militants and highlighted his labor legacy and the social programs of his previous administrations.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, chose his family's political stronghold to launch his campaign. Both candidates pledged to combat organized crime during their opening events.
The two candidates have 45 days to campaign before the runoff election scheduled for October 25.
Polling data released this week shows a tight race between the two. According to surveys reviewed by Veja magazine, two of three recent polls show the candidates in a technical tie in a potential runoff. Quaest polling gave Lula 43 percent support against Flávio's 40 percent. BTG/Nexus registered 47 percent for Lula versus 44 percent for Flávio. Only CNT/MDA showed the incumbent with a larger lead, recording 48 percent for Lula compared to 39.1 percent for Flávio, though this margin has narrowed since June when the gap stood at 12 points.
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