Brazil’s Lula extends lead over Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of presidential vote, poll shows

(Changes headline in July 15 story to reflect Lula extending lead over Flavio Bolsonaro)

SAO PAULO, July 15 (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has widened his lead over right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the run-up to October’s presidential election, a Quaest poll commissioned by brokerage Genial showed on Wednesday.

It is the first Quaest survey following a series of political developments including a corruption investigation targeting a senior Lula ally and arguments about accountability over new U.S. tariff threats against Brazil.

• Leftist Lula is seen with 45% of voting intentions in a potential second-round runoff, compared with 37% for Senator Bolsonaro, currently the main opposition hopeful.

• A Quaest poll in June showed Lula leading Flavio Bolsonaro by 44% to 38%.

• In a first-round scenario, Lula would take 40%, Bolsonaro 28%, Ronaldo Caiado 4%, Renan Santos 3% and Romeu Zema 2%.

• In Brazil, if no candidate gets more than 50% of valid votes, the two frontrunners go to a second-round vote.

• Quaest surveyed 2,004 people between July 10 and 13. The poll has a margin of error of two percentage points in either direction.

(Reporting by Michael Susin and Isabel Teles; Writing by Victoria Pacheco; Editing by Andrew Heavens)