FILE PHOTO: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the opening of Sao Paulo International Motor Show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 20, 2025. Ricardo Stuckert/Brazil Presidency/Handout via REUTERS

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads all potential right-wing challengers for the 2026 election, while his approval ratings have climbed in recent months, a poll by research institute MDA showed on Tuesday.

* Latin America's largest country will hold presidentialelections in October 2026. * Leftist Lula, 80, has said he intends to run for a fourthnon-consecutive term. * It remains unclear who will be his main challenger. * Former President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost to Lula in 2022,is barred from running. He was sentenced to more than 27 yearsin prison for plotting a coup and is in police custody.

LULA WOULD DEFEAT RIVALS IN RUNOFF

* In a potential second-round race against Sao PauloGovernor Tarcisio de Freitas, widely seen as the likelyBolsonaro-backed candidate, Lula would have 46% of the voteagainst Freitas' 39%. * In a September poll, Lula had 44% over Freitas' 38%. * Lula also leads former President Bolsonaro (49%-37%), hisson and federal lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro (50%-33%), and formerfirst lady Michelle Bolsonaro (49%-36%). * Lula would also defeat Parana Governor Ratinho Junior(46%-39%), Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema (48%-34%) and GoiasGovernor Ronaldo Caiado (47%-34%). * In Brazil, if no candidate gets more than 50% of validvotes, the two frontrunners go to a second-round vote - whichhas happened in every election since 2002.

LULA'S APPROVAL RATINGS CLIMB

* The poll found 34% of those surveyed view Lula'sgovernment positively, 36% negatively and 29% as neutral. * In September, those figures stood at 31%, 40% and 28%,respectively. * MDA surveyed 2,002 people between November 19-23. * The poll was commissioned by transport sector lobby CNT. * It has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points ineither direction.

(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Rod Nickel)