Backdropped by a picture of the presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party, Gustavo Bebianno Rocha, president of the Social Liberal Party, arrives to speak to journalists after his candidate spoke in a live broadcast on Facebook, at a hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Official results showed that Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad will face Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right congressman in a second-round vote. less
Backdropped by a picture of the presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party, Gustavo Bebianno Rocha, president of the Social Liberal Party, arrives to speak to journalists after his ... more
Photo: Leo Correa, AP
A man reads the headlines announcing the results of the Brazilian presidential election, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 8, 2018. Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro just missed outright victory in Sunday's vote, and will face former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers' Party in an Oct. 28 runoff. less
A man reads the headlines announcing the results of the Brazilian presidential election, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Oct. 8, 2018. Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro just missed outright victory in ... more
Photo: Leo Correa, AP
Brazil's presidential candidate for the Workers Party Fernando Haddad, listens to a question during a press conference with foreign journalists, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018. Haddad will face Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right congressman in a presidential runoff on Oct. 28. less
Brazil's presidential candidate for the Workers Party Fernando Haddad, listens to a question during a press conference with foreign journalists, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018. Haddad will face ... more
Photo: Andre Penner, AP
Leading Brazilian candidate to skip 1st run-off debate
SAO PAULO (AP) — The front-runner in Brazil's presidential election will skip the first TV debate before the Oct.28 run-off due to medical reasons.
Doctors of far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday that he's unfit for Thursday's scheduled debate. He has skipped other debates since being stabbed on Sept. 6. He left the hospital on Sept. 29.
Bolsonaro won Sunday's first-round vote by 46 percent, followed by left-leaning Fernando Haddad's 29 percent.
Haddad told reporters that he would go to a hospital to debate Bolsonaro if needed.
Bolsonaro, meanwhile, jabbed at Haddad on Twitter, calling him a "puppet of a jailed crook."