Lula wins Brazil runoff by 4 million votes

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured a fourth term as Brazilian president on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the runoff. The Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner shortly after 9 p.m. Brasilia time. Preliminary tallies showed the incumbent capturing more than 51 percent of the vote, or over 64 million ballots. Bolsonaro received 48 percent and more than 59 million votes, leaving a gap of more than 4 million ballots.

This outcome makes Lula the first politician in modern Brazilian history to win a presidential runoff after losing the opening round. He also becomes the oldest president sworn in since Brazil’s return to democracy. The 80-year-old former union leader is scheduled to take office on January 5, 2027.

Speaking hoarsely at a podium decorated with flags, Lula thanked voters for defending democracy. He acknowledged the legislative challenges his next term will face. "I do not choose the Congress," he said. "It was the people who chose it, and it is with them that I will vote, work and get things approved."

Bolsonaro refused to concede the result. He stated he would seek to annul the outcome, challenging a Supreme Court decision that extended voting hours by two. Both campaigns had requested additional time, and polling stations remained open until 7 p.m. Brasilia time. Bolsonaro accused the court of changing rules mid-election and said he could not accept the result.

The extension followed reports of public transport suspensions in some areas, which Lula’s allies blamed on an effort to suppress working-class voters. Heavy rainfall also affected southern regions known as Bolsonaro strongholds. Lula entered the runoff with 45 percent of the vote on October 4, behind Bolsonaro’s 47 percent. He subsequently campaigned on living costs, promoted a constitutional amendment to shorten the workweek, and raised the prospect of free weekend public transport.

The victory interrupts a series of presidential gains by the regional right in countries including Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula, while US Senator Bernie Sanders called the re-election extraordinary. Many of the region’s right-wing leaders have benefited from anti-incumbent sentiment and support from US President Donald Trump.

Relations with Washington remain a source of uncertainty. The Trump administration supported the Bolsonaro family and imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products last year to halt the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Trump Jr. criticized the voting extension on social media, suggesting judicial malpractice. US Representative Ro Khanna urged Trump to respect the outcome and refrain from undermining Brazil’s elections. Lula has characterized Washington’s pressure over the prosecution as an attack on Brazil’s judicial sovereignty.