Bolsonaro narrows gap with Lula in latest Brazilian election poll

A Nexus/BTG Pactual poll released on Monday reveals that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are virtually even in a simulated runoff, with Lula at 46% and Bolsonaro at 45% support. The poll, which surveyed 2,002 respondents from July 31 to August 2, shows a narrowing of the gap compared with a July 27 poll that had the incumbent ahead 47% to 43%. In a first-round scenario, Lula leads with 41% of the vote, followed by Bolsonaro at 37%, while Ronaldo Caiado, Renan Santos and Romeu Zema trail with 5%, 4% and 3% respectively.

The previous poll had Lula at 42% and Bolsonaro at 33% for the first round. Lula, 80, was officially nominated by the Workers' Party for a fourth non-consecutive term and has pledged increased defense spending and protection of Brazil’s rare-earth resources. If no candidate surpasses 50% in the first round, the top two will advance to a runoff.