Lula, Bolsonaro in final push for votes ahead of knife-edge election in Brazil - National Post

Brazil's President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves next to (L to R) his candidate for Sao Paulo's governor, Fernando Haddad, Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, and the Minister of the Environment Marina Silva during a campaign rally on the eve of the general election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 3, 2026. Photo by LUIS ROBAYO /AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentBrazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro will make a final pitch to voters Saturday with rallies in the pivotal state of Sao Paulo ahead of a nail-biter election that has been marred by scandals and mudslinging.

The 80-year-old veteran leftist is seeking a fourth and final term in office, warning voters that Brazil’s sovereignty is at stake in the face of pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Lula is locked in a tight battle against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.

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Opinion polls show neither candidate is likely to win in the first-round election Sunday, and the two are in a statistical tie for an October 25 runoff.

After criss-crossing the vast nation in recent weeks, the two men are making a final push for votes in the key southeastern battlegrounds of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Lula will hold his final rally in the megacity Sao Paulo, where supporters were decked out in the red of his Workers’ Party, wearing caps and T-shirts declaring: “Make Lula President Again” or “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.”

Adriana Lima, 44, an early childhood educator clad all in red, told AFP that Lula was “the only president who cared about the people.”

“We also have an issue with Trump wanting to treat Brazil like their backyard, so we absolutely cannot let that happen. It’s a very important election.”

Another Lula supporter, accountant Tiago Lorureto, 35, said the election was “a choice between democracy and barbarism.”