Overview
- The Workers’ Party held a national convention on Sunday that formally nominated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with Geraldo Alckmin as his running mate and gathered a multi‑party coalition before thousands of supporters.
- Lula has made sovereignty and a pledge to raise defense spending a main campaign theme, citing recent U.S. tariffs and foreign endorsements for Bolsonaro‑aligned figures as reasons to strengthen Brazil’s control over strategic resources.
- The Supreme Federal Court authorized two investigations into Lula’s eldest son, Fábio Luís “Lulinha,” on alleged influence peddling, creating a legal vulnerability the campaign must manage.
- The main conservative challenger, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, has struggled to close alliances after the PP led by Tereza Cristina declared neutrality, leaving the opposition coalition fragmented as party conventions and candidate registration deadlines approach.
- Polling from Datafolha shows Lula ahead in hypothetical second‑round matchups while Brazil faces slower growth, high interest rates and a large fiscal deficit—issues that the opposition is using to challenge his economic record.