General elections were held in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

on 7 October 2018 to elect the president, National Congress and state governors. As no candidate in the presidential election received more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...

round was held on 28 October. The election occurred during a tumultuous time in Brazilian politics. Narrowly re-elected in 2014,Brazil keen to open trade talks with UK
Financial Times, 22 July 2016 President

Dilma Rousseff Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first w ...

of the centre-left Workers’ Party (PT), which had dominated Brazilian politics since

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, was impeached in 2016. Replacing her was her

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Michel Temer Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia (; born 23 September 1940) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 31 August 2016 to 31 December 2018. He took office after the impeachment and removal from off ...

of the centre-right

Brazilian Democratic Movement Party The Brazilian Democratic Movement ( pt, Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, MDB) is a Brazilian political party. It is considered a " big tent party" and it is one of the parties with the greatest representation throughout the national territory, ...

. Temer, whose age of 75 at inauguration made him the oldest to ever take office, broke sharply with his predecessor's policies and amended the constitution to freeze public spending. He was extraordinarily unpopular, reaching an approval rating of 7% versus 76% in favor of his resignation. Despite mass demonstrations against his governance, including a 2017 general strike and a 2018 truck drivers’ strike, Temer refused to step down and served the duration of his term in office. Due to being convicted of breaking campaign finance laws, Temer was ineligible to run in 2018. The candidacy of Jair Bolsonaro, a controversial federal deputy from

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

known for his

far-right politics Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

and defense of the former Brazilian

military dictatorship A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer. The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...

, overshadowed other conservative candidates. Noted for his vehement opposition to

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

and

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

, Bolsonaro joined the small Social Liberal Party (PSL) to mount his bid for the presidency, shifting the party's ideology in favor of

social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institutio ...

and

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...

. Bolsonaro benefited from opposition to the former PT government and ran in favor of expanding gun ownership in response to

high crime ''High Crime'' ( it, La polizia incrimina la legge assolve, es, La policía detiene, la ley juzga) is a 1973 Italian-Spanish ''poliziottesco'' film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. The film stars Franco Nero, James Whitmore, Delia Boccardo and ...

, legalizing the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, and the privatization of state-owned companies. For the position of Vice President, Bolsonaro chose

Hamilton Mourão Antônio Hamilton Martins Mourão (; born 15 August 1953) is a Brazilian politician and retired military officer serving as the 25th vice president of Brazil. He has served as vice president under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro since 1 Januar ...

, a conservative retired general in the Brazilian Army. During the campaign, Bolsonaro was the subject of widespread protests for his

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...

racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

, and

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

beliefs. Former Governor of

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

Geraldo Alckmin, who ran as a member of the previously dominant centre-right Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), received the worst result for a presidential nominee of his party in Brazilian history. Former President Lula da Silva, once considered one of the most popular politicians in the world, intended to run for president as the candidate of the PT with former Mayor of São Paulo

Fernando Haddad Fernando Haddad (born 25 January 1963) is a Brazilian academic and politician who has served as the Brazilian Minister of Finance since 1 January 2023. He was previously the List of mayors of São Paulo, Mayor of São Paulo from 2013 to 2016. He ...

as his running-mate. Polling taken during the campaign found Lula as the favorite in both the first and second rounds of the election. However, Lula's 2017 conviction on corruption charges barred him from running. Haddad, who was largely unknown to Brazilian voters at the time, was chosen to run in his place, with

Communist Party of Brazil The Communist Party of Brazil ( pt-BR, Partido Comunista do Brasil, PCdoB) is a political party in Brazil. The PCdoB officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist theory. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and student m ...

(PCdoB) deputy Manuela d’Avila of

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...

serving as his running mate. His major opponent on the left was

Ciro Gomes Ciro Ferreira Gomes (; born 6 November 1957), known mononymously as Ciro, is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and academic. Ciro is currently affiliated with and vice-president of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). Born in São Paulo Sã ...

, a mainstay of Brazilian politics who ran a centre-left campaign as a member of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). Following Haddad's advancement to the second round, Ciro did not endorse his campaign, though he did signal opposition to Bolsonaro. The campaign was marked by political violence, with Bolsonaro being a victim of a stabbing attack at a campaign rally in

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

and supporters of both Haddad and Bolsonaro falling victim to politically-motivated attacks.

Fake news Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...

spread on popular messaging app

WhatsApp WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows us ...

was a focal point of election coverage, with disinformation spread on the app being blamed for influencing voting intentions. In the first round of the election, Bolsonaro received approximately 46% of the vote to Haddad's 29%, with Ciro coming in third place with over 12% of the vote. In the second round, Bolsonaro defeated Haddad by approximately ten percentage points, with the deputy receiving over 55% of the vote to less than 45% for Haddad. Bolsonaro took office on 1 January 2019 as President of Brazil.

Background

The

2014 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2014. * 2014 United Nations Security Council election 16 October 2014 Africa * 2014 Algerian presidential election 17 April 2014 * 2014 Botswana general election 24 October 2014 * 2014 Comorian presi ...

saw Workers' Party candidate

reelected as President in the second round with 51.6% of the vote, defeating

Aécio Neves Aécio Neves da Cunha (; born 10 March 1960) is a Brazilian economist, politician and former president of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). He was the 17th Governor of Minas Gerais from 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2010, and is curren ...

of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party who received 48.4% of the vote. Rousseff had first been elected in the 2010 elections, succeeding her political mentor,

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party ...

, who was in office from 2003 until 2011. However, on 3 December 2015, impeachment proceedings against Rousseff were officially accepted by the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...

. On 12 May 2016, the

Federal Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. Senate or the Senate may also refer to: * Any one of the national senates in the world, including ** The Brazilian Senate ** The United States Sen ...

temporarily suspended Rousseff's powers and duties for up to six months or until the Senate reached a verdict: to remove her from office if found guilty or to acquit her from the crimes charged. Vice President

, of the

, assumed her powers and duties as Acting President of Brazil during the suspension. On 31 August 2016, the Senate voted 61–20 in favor of impeachment, finding Rousseff guilty of breaking budgetary laws and removing her from office. Critics of the impeachment saw it as a legislative coup d'état. Vice President Temer succeeded Rousseff as the 37th

President of Brazil The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...

. His government implemented policies that contradicted the platform on which Rousseff's Workers Party had been elected, in one of the most controversial and heated political periods of modern Brazilian history. Temer was barred from running for a full term in 2018. He had been convicted of campaign law violations in 2016, and was banned from holding any political office for eight years. He was likely ineligible for a full term in any case due to the manner in which constitutional provisions on term limits are worded. The constitution stipulates that if the Vice President becomes Acting President for any reason, it counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms. This applies even when the Vice President becomes Acting President whenever the President is abroad.

Electoral system

Voting in Brazil is allowed for citizens over 16 years of age and

mandatory Mandate most often refers to: * League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919 * Mandate (politics) In representative democracies, a mandate (or seat) ...

for those between 18 and 70 years of age. Those who do not vote in an election and do not later present an acceptable justification (such as being away from their voting location at the time) must pay a fine of 3.51

BRL The Brazilian real (plural, pl. '; currency symbol, sign: R$; ISO 4217, code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real repl ...

(equivalent to 0.90

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

in October 2018). Brazilian citizens residing abroad only vote for president.

Presidential elections

The

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and the

Vice President of Brazil The Vice President of Brazil ( pt, Vice-Presidente do Brasil), officially the Vice President of the Federative Republic of Brazil (''Vice-Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil''), or simply the ''Vice President of the Republic'' (''Vice-P ...

are elected using the

two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...

. Citizens may field their candidacies for the presidency, and participate in the general elections, which are held on the first Sunday in October (in this instance, 7 October 2018). Candidates reciving more than 50% of the overall vote are declared elected. If the 50% threshold is not met by any candidate, a second round of voting is held on the last Sunday in October (in this instance, 28 October 2018). In the second round, only the two most-voted candidates from the first round may participate. The winner of the second round is elected President of Brazil. Candidates for President run for office jointly with a candidate for Vice-President, and the Vice-President is elected as a consequence of the election of the President.

Gubernatorial elections

The Governors and Vice Governors of all states and of the

Federal District A federal district is a type of administrative division of a federation, usually under the direct control of a federal government and organized sometimes with a single municipal body. Federal districts often include capital districts, and they e ...

are elected in the same way as the president, using two rounds of voting if necessary.

Congressional elections

Federal Senate elections

In 2018, two-thirds of the 81 members of the

were elected for a term of 8 years in office, the other third having been elected in 2014. Two candidates will be elected from each of the states and Federal District using majority block voting, with voters able to cast two votes each.Federal Senate electoral system
,

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...

Chamber of Deputies elections

All 513 members of the

(federal deputies) are elected, with candidates elected from 27 multi-member constituencies corresponding to the states and Federal District, varying in size from eight to 70 seats. The Chamber elections are held using

open list Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a party's candidates are elected. This is as opposed to closed list, which allows only active members, par ...

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

, with seats allocated using the simple quotient.

Legislative Assemblies elections

All members of the State Legislative Assemblies (state deputies) and of the Federal District Legislative Chamber (district deputies), varying in size from 24 to 94 seats, will be elected. These elections are also held using

, with seats allocated using the simple quotient.

Presidential candidates

Candidates in runoff

Candidates failing to make runoff

Lost in primaries or conventions

Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB)

* Arthur Virgílio Neto, Mayor of

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

(1989–1992, 2013–)

Democrats (DEM)

Ronaldo Caiado Ronaldo Ramos Caiado (Anápolis, September 25, 1949) is a Brazilian politician. An orthopedic physician trained at the School of Medicine and Surgery of Rio de Janeiro, he comes from a family landowners and politicians from Goiás. He is the grand ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

for

Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...

(2015–) *

Antônio Carlos Magalhães Neto Antônio Carlos Peixoto de Magalhães Neto, commonly known as ACM Neto, (born 26 January 1979 in Salvador) is a Brazilian lawyer and politician. He was the national president of the Democrats (DEM), and is currently general secretary of the Braz ...

, Mayor of Salvador (2013–); President of the Democrats (2018–) * Mendonça Filho, Minister of Education (2016–2018)

Party of National Mobilization (PMN)

* Valéria Monteiro, journalist, model, actress, and television presenter

Social Democratic Party (PSD)

Guilherme Afif Domingos Guilherme Afif Domingos (born 18 September 1943) is a Brazilian company administrator, entrepreneur, and politician of Lebanon, Lebanese descent, member of the Social Democratic Party (Brazil, 2011), Social Democratic Party (PSD). He was Vice Go ...

, former Vice Governor of

(2011–15)

Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL)

* Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Jr., economist and professor at

University of Campinas The State University of Campinas ( pt, Universidade Estadual de Campinas), commonly called Unicamp, is a public research university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Unicamp is consistently ranked among the top universities in Brazil and Latin ...

; son of late

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

nominee

Plínio de Arruda Sampaio Plínio Soares de Arruda Sampaio (26 July 1930 – 8 July 2014) was a Brazilian intellectual and political activist, who was affiliated with the Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL). He ran as a candidate for the presidency of the Federative ...

. * Hamilton Assis, former leader of

Central Única dos Trabalhadores Central Única dos Trabalhadores ( en, Unified Workers' Central), commonly known by the acronym CUT, is the main national trade union center in Brazil. History CUT was formed on 28 August 1983 in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, during the Fi ...

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...

(1993–1996) * Nildo Ouriques, economist and professor at

UFSC The Federal University of Santa Catarina ( pt, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC) is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Considered one of the leading universities in Brazil, ...

* Sônia Guajajara, indigenous activist and militant ecosocialist ;Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) * Roberto Requião,

for Paraná (1995–2002 and 2011–) * Germano Rigotto, former

Governor of Rio Grande do Sul The governor of Rio Grande do Sul is the head of government of the state's executive branch, assisted by his secretaries, whom he freely chooses. Elected by absolute majority in universal suffrage, together with the vice-governor, his term lasts fo ...

(2003–07) ;Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) *

Levy Fidelix José Levy Fidelix da Cruz (27 December 1951 – 23 April 2021) was a Brazilian conservative politician, businessman, and journalist. He was the founder of the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB) and ran for president of Brazil in the electio ...

, President of the PRTB (1994–) and nominee for President in

and 2014 * Antônio Hamilton Mourão, Brazilian Army general ;Brazilian Republican Party (PRB) * Flávio Rocha, CEO and Chairman of

Lojas Riachuelo Lojas Riachuelo (English: ''Riachuelo Stores'') is a Brazilian department store company founded in 1947 in the city of Natal, Brazil. Currently, the company operates 302 stores. The company its headquartered in Natal, and have a central offi ...

(2005–) and former

Federal Deputy The Chamber of Deputies ( pt, Câmara dos Deputados) is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. The chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year ...

for

Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Norte (, , ) is one of the states of Brazil. It is located in the northeastern region of the country, forming the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. The name literally translates as "Great Northern River", ref ...

(1987–95) ;Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) *

João Doria João Agripino da Costa Doria Júnior (; born 16 December 1957) is a Brazilian politician, businessman and journalist who served as Governor of São Paulo, from January 2019 to March 2022. He previously served as the 52nd Mayor of São Paulo fr ...

, former

Mayor of São Paulo In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

(2017–18) *

for

(2010–) and nominee for President in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

José Serra José Serra Chirico (; born 19 March 1942) is a Brazilian politician who has served as a Congressman, Senator, Minister of Planning, Minister of Health, Mayor of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo state, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bra ...

for

(1996–1998, 2002–03, 2015–16 and 2017–) and nominee for President in

and

;Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) *

Joaquim Barbosa Joaquim Benedito Barbosa Gomes (; born October 7, 1954) is a former Justice of the Supreme Federal Court in Brazil. He served as the president of the court (Chief Justice) between 2012 and 2014. Barbosa studied law at University of Brasília ...

, former Minister of the

Supreme Federal Court The Supreme Federal Court ( pt, Supremo Tribunal Federal, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for consti ...

(2003–14) ;Christian Labour Party (PTC) *

Fernando Collor de Mello Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (; born 12 August 1949) is a Brazilian politician who served as the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his impeachment trial by the Brazilian Senate. Coll ...

, former

(1990–92) and

for

Alagoas Alagoas (, ) is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is the city of Maceió. It ...

(2007–) ;Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) *Manuela d'Ávila, former

for Rio Grande do Sul (2007–2015) * Flávio Dino, List of Governors of Maranhão, Governor of Maranhão (2015–) ;Democrats (DEM) * Rodrigo Maia, President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), President of the Chamber of Deputies (2016–) and

for Rio Grande do Sul (1999–) ;Green Party (PV) * Eduardo Jorge, former

for São Paulo (1987–2003) ;Party of the Republic (PR) *Josué Gomes, President of the Coteminas Company * Magno Malta,

for Espírito Santo (2003–) ;Patriota (PATRI) *Roberto M. Rey Jr., Roberto Rey, former Vice President of PATRI (2015–17) ;Popular Socialist Party (PPS) * Cristovam Buarque,

for the

(2003–) and nominee for President in 2006 Brazilian general election, 2006 ;Progressive Party (PP) * Blairo Maggi, Ministry of Agriculture (Brazil), Minister of Agriculture (2016-) ;Social Christian Party (PSC) *Paulo Rabello de Castro, former President of the Brazilian Development Bank (2017–18) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2016–17) ;Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) * Chico Alencar,

for

(2003–) * Marcelo Freixo, Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, State Deputy of

(2007–) * Luciana Genro, former

for

(2003–11) and nominee for President in 2014 ;Solidarity (SD) * Aldo Rebelo, former President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), President of the Chamber of Deputies (2005–2007) and member of the Dilma Rousseff, Rousseff cabinet (2011–16) ;Workers' Party (PT) * Fernando Pimentel, Governor of Minas Gerais (2015–) ;Other * Silvio Santos, Owner of Grupo Silvio Santos (1958–) * Pedro Parente, former President of Petrobras (2016–18) * Roberto Justus, television presenter and Chairman of Grupo Newcomm (1998–) * Luciano Huck, television presenter * Luís Roberto Barroso, Minister of the

(2013-)

Campaign

Rejection of Lula's candidacy

On 1 September, the Superior Electoral Court voted 6–1 to reject Lula's candidacy based on the Ficha Limpa, Lei da Ficha Limpa and his conviction on corruption charges, but approved the PT-PCdoB-PROS coalition "''The People Happy Again''" and the candidacy of Fernando Haddad. The Workers' Party replaced Lula with Haddad and announced former presidential candidate Manuela d'Ávila as his running mate.

Stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro

Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed on 6 September 2018 while campaigning in the city of Juiz de Fora,

and interacting with supporters. Bolsonaro's son, Flávio Bolsonaro, Flávio, stated that his father's wounds were only superficial and he was recovering in hospital. Police arrested and identified the attacker as Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, who claimed that he was "ordered by God to carry out the attack". Flávio Bolsonaro later stated that the wounds inflicted seemed worse than initially thought. He tweeted about his father's condition, explaining that the perforation reached part of the liver, the lung and part of the intestine. He also stated that Bolsonaro had lost a large amount of blood, arriving at the hospital with a pressure of 10/3, but had since stabilized. Most of the other candidates in the presidential race as well as and the then-Brazilian president,

, condemned the attack. After being stabbed, Bolsonaro did not attend any further debates.

Debates

Two debates were held on 9 and 17 August, featuring eight presidential candidates: Bolsonaro, Alckmin, Silva, Gomes, Dias, Meirelles, Boulos, and Daciolo. Lula was unable to participate in the debates. The 9 August debate was moderated by Ricardo Boechat, and the 17 August debate was moderated by Amanda Klein, Boris Casoy and Mariana Godoy. A debate scheduled for 27 August was canceled after Jair Bolsonaro expressed his uncertainty about participating in the debates and the Workers' Party insisted on the participation of Lula, prohibited by the Electoral Justice. Bolsonaro did not participate in further debates after he was attacked on 6 September. After a debate on 9 September moderated by Maria Lydia Flândoli, Fernando Haddad participated in all remaining debates. These occurred on 20 September (moderated by Joyce Ribeiro), 26 September (moderated by Carlos Nascimento), 30 September (moderated by Adriana Araújo and Celso Freitas), and 4 October (moderated by William Bonner (newscaster), William Bonner). A vice presidential debate was held on 5 September featuring four candidates; Fernando Haddad did not attend. While several debates were scheduled for the second round, none were held. Debates planned for 12 October, 14 October, and 15 October were cancelled due to Bolsonaro's health issues. A debate scheduled for 21 October was cancelled after the campaigns were unable to agree to terms.

Opinion polls

Results

President

By state

First round

Second round

Voter demographics

Chamber of Deputies

Senate

Aftermath and reactions

Americas

Argentina

* President of Argentina, President Mauricio Macri congratulated Bolsonaro on his election victory, stating that, "I hope we will work together soon for the relationship between our countries and the welfare of Argentines and Brazilians."

Bolivia

* President of Bolivia, President Evo Morales expressed his congratulations, "we greet the brother people of Brazil for their democratic participation in the second round of presidential elections in which Jair Bolsonaro was elected, to whom we extend our recognition. Bolivia and Brazil are brother peoples with deep integration ties."

Chile

* President of Chile, President Sebastián Piñera expressed his congratulations on Twitter, "congratulations to the Brazilian people for a clean and democratic election. I congratulate Jair Bolsonaro for your great electoral triumph."

Colombia

* President of Colombia, President Iván Duque Márquez, Iván Duque praised Bolsonaro on Twitter. "Congratulations to Jair Bolsonaro, the new democratically elected president of Brazil. Our wish for this new stage of the neighboring country to be one of well-being and unity. We look forward to continuing our fellowship relationship to strengthen political, commercial and cultural ties."

Costa Rica

* President of Costa Rica, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Carlos Alvarado using his official Twitter account expressed: "Costa Rica ratifies its willingness to work with Brazil in favor of inclusion, economic growth and respect for the rights of all people, as well as to achieve the sustainable development of the region."

Ecuador

* President of Ecuador, President Lenín Moreno expressed on Twitter, "More congratulations to the Brazilian people for this new democratic feat. Best wishes for new President Jair Bolsonaro."

Mexico

* President of Mexico, President Enrique Peña Nieto praised Bolsonaro on Twitter. "On behalf of the people and the Government of Mexico, I congratulate Jair Bolsonaro for his election as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on an exemplary day that reflects the democratic strength of that country."

Paraguay

* President of Paraguay, President Mario Abdo Benítez expressed on Twitter, "congratulations to the people of Brazil and their elected president Jair Bolsonaro for this election! We want to work together for stronger democracies in the region, with strengthened institutions and always looking for the prosperity of our peoples!"

Peru

* President of Peru, President Martín Vizcarra congratulated Bolsonaro on his election, "I congratulate Jair Bolsonaro for his election as president of Brazil and I wish him the greatest success in his administration. I express my willingness to work together to deepen our fraternal bilateral relationship."

United States

* President of the United States, President Donald Trump congratulated Bolsonaro on his election victory. Trump and Bolsonaro both agreed to work side-by-side to improve the lives of the people of the United States and Brazil, and as regional leaders, of the Americas.

Asia

China

* President of the People's Republic of China, President Xi Jinping congratulated Bolsonaro on his election, and said that his country was willing to "respect the fundamental interests" of both nations. He also congratulated the statements made by Bolsonaro shortly after winning the elections, in which he assured that Brazil will maintain ties with China, its main trading partner, regardless of its ideological differences.

Europe

France

* President of France, President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Bolsonaro on his election victory, added that France would look to continue to cooperate with Brazil on areas including environmental issues. “France and Brazil have a strategic partnership based around common values of respect and the promotion of democratic principles,” added Macron in his statement. * National Rally (France), President of the National Rally Party Marine Le Pen praised Bolsonaro on his election victory, "Brazilians just punished the widespread corruption and terrifying crime that thrived during far left governments. Good luck to President Bolsonaro who will have to re-establish Brazil's very compromised economic, security and democratic situation."

Germany

* According to an official publication, the Chancellor of Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said she "hopes that their cooperation will continue to be based on democratic values and the rule of law. Two countries have long been linked by friendly relations and common interests."

Russia

* According to an official publication from the Kremlin, Russian President, President Vladimir Putin: "praised the significant experience of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various spheres that Russia and Brazil have acquired as part of their strategic collaboration" and "expressed confidence in the further promotion of the entire complex of Russian-Brazilian ties as well as constructive cooperation in the framework of the United Nations, the G20, BRICS and other multilateral organisations in the interests of the Russian and Brazilian people."

Italy

* Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini praised Bolsonaro on Twitter. "In Brazil citizens expelled the left! Good job for President Bolsonaro, the friendship between our peoples and government will be even stronger".

Spain

* Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed on Twitter, "The Brazilian people have decided their future for years to come. The challenges will be huge. Brazil will always count on Spain to achieve a more egalitarian and fairer Latin America, the hope that will illuminate the decisions of any ruler."

Middle East

Israel

* Prime Minister of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Bolsonaro on his election victory, stating that, "I am confident that your election will bring great friendship between the two peoples and strengthen the ties between Brazil and Israel."Netanyahu congratulates Brazil's President-elect Bolsonaro
Jerusalem Post

Notes

References

External links

Official campaign websites

Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB, DEM, PP, PR, PRB, SD, PTB, PSD, PPS) para PresidenteJoão Amoêdo (NOVO) para PresidenteJair Bolsonaro (PSL, PRTB) para PresidenteGuilhemere Boulos (PSOL, PCB) para PresidenteÁlvaro Dias (PODE, PSC, PTC, PRP) para PresidenteJosé Maria Eymael (DC) para PresidenteCiro Gomes (PDT, AVANTE) para PresidenteFernando Haddad (PT, PROS, PCdoB) para PresidenteVera Lúcia (PSTU) para PresidenteHenrique Meirelles (MDB, PHS) para PresidenteMarina Silva (REDE, PV) para Presidente

Infographics

Map of first round results divided by electoral zones
{{Brazilian elections 2018 Brazilian general election, 2018 elections in South America, Brazil General elections in Brazil October 2018 events in South America, Brazil Presidential elections in Brazil