Lula slightly boosts lead over Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil first round -poll

Reuters

Published Sep 22, 2022 07:10PM ET

Updated Sep 22, 2022 07:22PM ET

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's presidential frontrunner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slightly boosted his lead over incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro to 14 percentage points in a poll published on Thursday by pollster Datafolha, less than two weeks before the Oct. 2 first-round vote.

The Datafolha survey showed Lula with 47% voter support versus 33% for Bolsonaro in the election's first round, compared with 45% and 33%, respectively, in the previous poll.

In an expected second-round run-off, Lula would garner the support of 54% of voters versus 38% for Bolsonaro, a 16 point advantage, according to the poll, the same result from a week ago.

Bolsonaro's approval rating edged up to 32%, compared to 30% one week ago; and still above the 22% he held in December, after which his popularity ticked up thanks to welfare programs and measures to tackle inflation.