RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A rising political star of the Brazilian Workers' Party (PT), Fernando Haddad is expected to compete against the leading far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro in the second round later this month.

With 96 percent of the votes counted, Haddad secured 28.43 percent in the first round, according to results from the top electoral body Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

Haddad came to his first presidential race with the support of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

With Lula banned from running for presidency due to a corruption conviction, Haddad, who was his running mate, ascended to the position of the party's presidential candidate.

Haddad was born in 1963 in Sao Paulo. He later got his master's in economy and doctorate in philosophy at Sao Paulo University, and became a professor at the university's Political Science Department.

In 2001, Haddad started his political career at the Sao Paulo city government as the chief of staff at the finance secretariat. In 2003, following the election of Lula, he joined the planning minister's team as a advisor, and later became executive secretary at the Education Ministry.

In 2005, Haddad became education minister, a position he held till 2012 when he left the ministry to run for Sao Paulo mayor and won. In 2016, Haddad lost his bid for re-election as mayor of Sao Paulo.