Lula retains lead over Bolsonaro in Brazil's election - poll

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, presidential candidate of the Workers Party (PT), participates in the first Presidential Debate ahead of the national election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Carla Carniel

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has retained his strong lead over incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of the country's October election, a Genial/Quaest poll released on Wednesday showed.

Lula is seen winning 44% support in a first-round vote against Bolsonaro's 32%, the poll said. They had 45% and 33%, respectively, two weeks ago.

Center-left candidate Ciro Gomes saw his support rise to 8%, from 6% in the previous survey.

FILE PHOTO: Simone Tebet, presidential candidate of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), raises her hand as Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate of the Liberal Party (PL), and Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, presidential candidate of the Workers Party (PT), look on during the first Presidential Debate ahead of the national election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Carla Carniel

In an expected run-off, Lula slightly widened his lead to a 14 percentage point gap - taking 51% of the votes against Bolsonaro's 37%. In the previous poll, Lula had a 13-point lead.

The Genial/Quaest poll found that the negative view of Bolsonaro's government dipped to 40% from 41% two weeks ago, while the percentage of those who see the government in a positive light increased one percentage point to 30%.

Pollster Quaest interviewed 2,000 voters in person between August 25-28. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

(Reporting by Peter Frontini; editing by Richard Pullin)