50 Percent: Brazilian Runoff Polls Show Tie After Final Debate

A new survey places the Brazilian presidential race in a dead heat, with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro tied at 50 percent. The Datafolha institute released the figures on Thursday, erasing the four-point lead Bolsonaro held in polls from two weeks prior. The data suggests voters remain undecided as the campaign enters its final stages.

The two candidates met for the last televised debate on Friday in Rio de Janeiro. The broadcast on TV Globo focused on policy, with both men questioning each other on the economy, infrastructure, and regional development. The exchange was more diplomatic than their first meeting on Sunday, though it still included personal attacks and tense moments.

Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, attacked the incumbent's management of public finances. He accused Lula of leaving the country bankrupt and compared his own proposed spending cuts to the approach of Argentine President Javier Milei. Lula countered by calling Bolsonaro's plan a chainsaw to public spending. Bolsonaro responded that he would face the same challenges in Argentina because of the debt his opponent left behind.

The debate also featured personal jabs. Lula, who is 80 years old and Brazil's first working-class president, stated that his rival does not know what hunger is. He added that Bolsonaro does not know Brazil. Bolsonaro, a senator, hit back by asking why things are so expensive. He also used the nickname Nine Fingers, a pejorative term referencing an accident Lula suffered while working as a metalworker. Lula demanded an apology, which Bolsonaro offered.

Other heated exchanges involved crime and policing. Lula called Bolsonaro a vigilante, citing allegations of ties to paramilitary groups in Rio. Bolsonaro said he would classify such groups as narcoterrorists. The candidates also discussed a shootout that killed a five-year-old child. The victim's mother spoke out after a police officer involved in the incident, whose lawyer was Bolsonaro, was questioned. Bolsonaro said he does not believe his client was guilty.

Bolsonaro finished first in the opening round of voting on October 4, taking 47 percent to Lula's 45 percent. The current tie indicates a significant shift in voter intent since that initial count. Both candidates are expected to join supporters in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo for their final campaign push before Sunday's vote.