Dilma Rousseff is trying to make history and become the first female President, but she has fallen short of a majority at the ballots so now faces a tough runoff against experienced rival Jose Serra.
Rousseff gained the majority of votes in Sunday’s elections at 46.9 to Serra’s 32.6, but failed to reach the vital 50 percent mark she would have needed to claim an outright win.
There is much riding on the country’s other female candidate, Marina Silva from the Greens Party, who surprised many with 19.4 percent of votes cast her way. If she decides to throw her weight behind Rousseff she helps bring the first female leader to Brazil.
Rousseff is a somewhat controversial figure, with a past as a Marxist militant who was imprisoned and tortured by the then-military regime. Rousseff has parted ways with her militant background to carve a place for herself as a bureaucrat, serving as popular president Luiz da Silva’s chief of staff.
Silva has enjoyed popularity of over 80 percent in the country, and as his chosen candidate, Rousseff has benefitted immensely from his mentorship. With a second round of voting in four weeks, Rousseff has a long way to go yet before securing the presidency.
She has expressed optimism at going into the second round against the more experienced Serra: "I'm confident that the second round will provide an important process of elucidation, of dialogue with the representatives of society," Rousseff said to supporters in Brasilia
