Lula defeats Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff, secures fourth term
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil's second-round presidential vote with just over 51% against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who received about 48% of the vote.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a second-round victory in Brazil’s presidential election, obtaining slightly more than 51% of the vote, while right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro received around 48%, according to the Superior Electoral Court. More than 64 million ballots were cast for Lula and over 59 million for Bolsonaro, leaving a margin of roughly four million votes.
Lula addressed supporters from a flag-draped podium, acknowledging upcoming challenges with Congress. > "I do not choose the Congress. It was the people who chose it, and it is with them that I will vote, work and get things approved," he said. He also thanked voters for defending democracy.
The Workers’ Party leader Edinho Silva described the result as a turning point for democracy in a social-media post. International figures, including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, congratulated Lula on the outcome.
The vote was contested by allegations of voter suppression, with reports that public transport was reduced in some areas, potentially affecting Lula’s working-class base. Heavy rains also impacted regions traditionally supportive of Bolsonaro. Both campaigns asked the Supreme Court to extend voting hours, and polls remained open two hours longer than scheduled.
Lula, 80, will be sworn in for a fourth, non-consecutive term on 5 January 2027, becoming the oldest Brazilian president to take office since the country’s return to democracy. His victory follows a first-round deficit, marking the first instance in modern Brazilian history of a candidate overturning a first-round loss.
The result may shape Brazil’s legislative agenda, as the new Congress is expected to be the most right-leaning in recent memory. Bolsonaro has hinted at legal challenges to the result, and Donald Trump Jr. suggested judicial irregularities related to the extended voting period. > "If a conservative government in Brazil did this, everyone in the mainstream press in America would lose their minds, but I guess they’re just choosing to be silent because it’s all for the cause," he wrote on social media.
U.S. Representative Ro Khanna urged President Donald Trump to respect the election outcome. The Brazilian government has framed external criticism as an attack on national judicial sovereignty.