Sunday evening ended with two candidates claiming their own victories. President Dilma Rousseff came in top of this poll, but she did not secure the majority she needed to avoid a second-round run off. CCTV America’s Stephen Gibbs reports.

Rousseff will battle against the former governor Aecio Neves. He benefited from an extraordinary 11-hour surge in support. He said the momentum for change is with him.

Many of Neves’ votes were the result of late defections from environmentalist Marina Silva, she had been the favorite to go through to the runoff vote, but her support collapsed in the final days. Observers said that this result is partially because of a very effective negative ad campaign brought against her by the governing party.

Rousseff has to focus on a new opponent. She will argue that the center-right party, that Neves represents, is part of an elite which wants to wrestle back power from the left after 12 years in opposition. In that case, they will be aided by Neves’ reputation as a man who likes the good life.

Neves has challenges on his side too. Last year’s protests against political corruption and poor public services demonstrated that this is a country crying out for changes.

For more insight discussion and how the second-round presidential poll might play out CCTV America talked with Eric Farnsworth. He’s the vice president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society, the organization studies politics and other issues affecting the Western hemisphere.