Brazil’s far-right candidate falls short of vote stunner
SAOPAULO— A far-right former army captain who expresses nostalgia for Brazil’s military dictatorship won its presidential election by a surprisingly large margin Sunday but fell just short of getting enough votes to avoid a second-round runoff against a leftist rival.
Jair Bolsonaro, whose last-minute surge almost gave him an electoral stunner, had 46.7 percent compared with 28.5 percent for former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal said after all the votes were counted.
Bolsonaro needed more than 50 percent support to win outright.
Polls predicted Bolsonaro would come out in front on Sunday, but he far outperformed expectations, blazing past competitors with more financing, institutional backing of parties and free air time on television.
Ultimately, Bolsonaro’s strong showing reflects a yearning for the past as much as a sign of the future.
The candidate from the tiny Social and Liberal Party made savvy use of Twitter and Facebook to spread his message that only he could end the corruption, crime and economic malaise that has seized Brazil in recent years. He pitched the idea that he could bring back the good ol’ days and traditional values.
“I voted against thievery and corruption,” said Mariana Prado, a 54-year-old human resources expert. “I know that everyone promises to end these two things, but I feel Bolsonaro is the only one can help end my anxieties.”
The two candidates have painted starkly different visions of the country’s past and future.