Brazil’s presidential candidates, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, open their official campaigns ahead of an October election. Multiple outlets describe the race as close, with polling showing either a shrinking Lula lead or a statistical tie, depending on the survey.

Across the reports, forecasts point to a first-round vote that could require a runoff on October 25 if no candidate wins a majority. France 24 and Bloomberg both characterize the standings as “dead heat” or “tight,” while other polling coverage notes Lula’s advantage over Flávio Bolsonaro narrows to around a one-point margin in at least one survey. Some outlets frame the campaign backdrop around legal and political scrutiny linked to a Supreme Court crisis and a multibillion-dollar banking fraud case, which is presented as weighing on perceptions of Bolsonaro’s ties to a disgraced executive.

Outlets otherwise differ in emphasis: Bloomberg highlights the impact of the court crisis and banking scandal on both campaigns, while other reports focus more generally on the start of campaigning and the competitive nature of the race. Overall, they converge on a closely contested election likely to remain within a narrow polling band through the vote.