The president (PT) is seen by the electorate as the most experienced, and the senator (-RJ) as the most modern and innovative, shows research on the image of pre-candidates for the Planalto.
The survey asked 15 questions on the topic — most of the interviews were carried out before the one between his son and banker Daniel Vorcaro, from Banco Master.
In terms of experience, the PT member has 55% compared to 18% for the former president’s eldest son. It is the biggest difference between the opponents, 37 percentage points. In the segment of non-aligned voters, Lula reaches 52% compared to Flávio’s 8%, reaching an even greater difference of 44 percentage points.
In the survey, non-aligned voters are those who, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the most convinced Bolsonarist and 5 being the most convinced PT member, choose 3.
The senator leads the question about which of the pre-candidates would be the most modern and most innovative in this election. Flávio has 31% compared to Lula’s 26%. In the non-aligned segment, Bolsonaro’s 1st son has 22% compared to 11% for the current president, and the difference is 11 percentage points.
From May 12th to 13th, Datafolha interviewed 2,004 voters aged 16 and over. In the total sample, the margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points. For non-aligned, the margin is four points plus or minus.
Since last year, Lula and Flávio have tried to adapt their images. The. Still in 2025, he met with GDP exponents in the capital of São Paulo, one lunch at the headquarters of the Swiss bank UBS and another at the home of businessman Gabriel Rocha Kanner, nephew of Flávio Rocha, owner of Riachuelo. At the same time, it sought to dialogue, on social media, with minority groups, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, and with female voters.
However, the revelations of the case “” are likely to hinder the senator’s intentions of expanding his electorate in the undecided segment. Last week, the website Intercept showed that Flávio asked Daniel Vorcaro for money to finance the film “Dark Horse”. It is suspected that part of the amount was intended to pay for former deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro.
In parallel, in January last year, the president replaced Paulo Pimenta, from command of Secom, with Sidônio Palmeira. The assessment was that the government’s achievements were not being communicated clearly to the population. Since then, Sidônio has invested in networks, seeking a more relaxed language.
Even so, communication continues to be a sensitive point for the PT. Age is another image issue that must be explored in the election: Lula is 80 years old, and Flávio, 45. On the networks, the PT member seeks to show willingness, frequently posting videos of his now traditional runs.
The Datafolha survey also addresses negative characteristics in this round. In terms of public morality, the PT member was seen as “the most corrupt” by 46% of those interviewed, compared to 30% for his main opponent. On the other hand, Flávio is the pre-candidate who most defends the rich (53%), in contrast to Lula (18%).
Out of curiosity, the two pre-candidates are very close when the question is about who communicates the language of Brazilian youth better. The PT member scores 32%, and the senator, 29%.
The margin is also small when the question is about who is most prepared to combat violence. For 33%, Flávio and, for 29%, Lula. Bolsonarism has always been characterized by its hard-line discourse on public security. Former president Bolsonaro was an Army captain, and Flávio, while he was in Alerj (Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly) as a state deputy, echoed the speech to combat crime.
Last week, the current president launched the Brazil Against Organized Crime Program, with an investment of R$11 billion. Amid the wave of feminicides across the country, the PT member emerges as the one who most defends women (38%), followed by the senator (19%). Finally, Lula (52%) has a large advantage over his competitor (23%) — a difference of 29 points — in terms of who “more resembles the Brazilian population.”
The difference in the question about authoritarianism is also large: 40% see Flávio Bolsonaro as more authoritarian than Lula, who has 26%. Although the two pre-candidates always appear ahead in the 15 categories analyzed by Datafolha, other pre-candidates draw attention in some of them.
Former governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado (PSD) comes third in the question about combating violence and adds 5%; (Mission) scores 4% in the question about youth communication; Samara Martins (UP) reaches 8% in defense of women; (Mobiliza) is remembered for having “God in his heart” (4%), a category in which Lula appears ahead (33%), followed by Flávio (27%); (New) stands out in third position in the question about which politician is the most modern and most innovative, with 5%.
In the general scenario, the research showed the president tied with the senator in the simulation of the second round of presidential elections. Datafolha showed Lula and Flávio with 45% of voting intentions each in the second round simulation. Another 9% say they would vote blank or null, and 1% say they don’t know.
The scenario changes in the first round. The president appeared with 38% of the votes, followed by Flávio Bolsonaro, with 35%, Zema and Caiado have 3%, Renan Santos, 2%, and Cabo Daciolo, 1%. Another 9% say they will vote blank or null and 3% say they don’t know.
