Flavio Bolsonaro Leads Lula in Early Brazil Election Results

Preliminary results from Brazil’s presidential election showed Senator Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the first round of a closely contested vote.

Brazil began releasing the early returns on Sunday afternoon. The figures indicated an initial advantage for Bolsonaro but did not establish a final outcome.

The vote followed a campaign dominated by corruption scandals, economic concerns and allegations of US interference. Those allegations formed part of the campaign backdrop, rather than an established finding of interference.

Bolsonaro’s early lead dealt a setback to Lula’s supporters. With the results still preliminary, the first-round outcome remained unsettled.