BRASILIA, Sept 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A popular psychiatrist and self-help author's presidential pitch has caught the eye of Brazilian voters hesitating between leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro.

Augusto Cury is campaigning under the slogan "Brazil just wants to be happy" and wants voters to know that there are options beyond Lula and Bolsonaro in the deeply polarized country.

Ten percent of people surveyed by the firm Quaest say they would vote for Cury in the October election, the findings published Wednesday showed.

That puts him far behind Lula's 37 percent and Bolsonaro's 29 percent, but considerably ahead of all other candidates, each with less than three percent.

"I want to put an end to this fight. There aren't two ships, just one called 'Brazilian family,'" the bespectacled, soft-spoken 67-year-old told a recent farming event in the state of Sao Paulo.

The psychiatrist with limited political experience piqued the public's interest when he appeared in a presidential debate not attended by the top two candidates.

His online following has meanwhile skyrocketed, with the author of self-help books including "The Master of Love" gaining 2.2 million followers within a week.

October's election marks Cury's first stab at running for office, with his political career limited to a stint with Brazil's Green Party 15 years ago.

He frames himself as a centrist candidate running on a promise to support businesses, reduce bureaucracy and advocate for emotional education.

Brazilians will go to the polls on October 4, and if no candidate wins the first round outright, a runoff will take place on October 25.