SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff rose in an opinion poll for October’s presidential race, tying top opposition contender Jose Serra, figures showed yesterday.

Rousseff won 37 per cent support in the Ibope poll, up 5 percentage points from a survey in April. Serra, of the PSDB party, also garnered 37 per cent support. But his figures were down 3 points from April.

Former Environment Minister Marina Silva of the Green Party had 9 per cent of voter intention, unchanged from April.

The poll took place this week after Serra and Rousseff appeared on nationally televised political programmes and radio shows to present their agendas.

Rousseff, from the Workers’ Party, has been gaining ground on Serra in other recent polls, thanks to an improving economy and support from outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. His administration was considered good or excellent by 75 per cent of people in the survey.

The survey polled 2,002 people from Monday to Thursday in 141 cities and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. It was sponsored by O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper and Globo TV.