Lula wins fourth term in Brazil runoff, defying first-round deficit

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured a fourth term in office on Sunday. The Superior Electoral Court declared him the winner shortly after 9 p.m. Brasilia time. He defeated right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who had led the first-round voting on October 4.

Lula received more than 51 percent of the vote, totaling over 64 million ballots. Bolsonaro garnered 48 percent, or more than 59 million votes. The margin of victory exceeded 4 million votes. This outcome makes Lula the first politician in modern Brazilian history to win a presidential runoff after losing the initial round.

The 80-year-old former metalworkers’ union leader is scheduled to take office on January 5, 2027. He will surpass his own record as the oldest president sworn in since Brazil’s return to democracy. Speaking at a podium decorated with flags, Lula thanked voters for defending democracy. He acknowledged the legislative challenges ahead of his next term.

“I do not choose the Congress,” Lula said. “It was the people who chose it, and it is with them that I will vote, work and get things approved.” His next term will face the most right-wing Congress in recent memory.

Flavio Bolsonaro refused to concede the defeat. He stated he would seek to annul the outcome, citing a Supreme Court decision that extended voting by two hours. Polling stations nationwide remained open until 7 p.m. Brasilia time. Bolsonaro accused the court of changing the rules during the election.

The extension followed reports of public transport suspensions and heavy rainfall in southern regions. Lula’s allies accused Bolsonaro supporters of limiting bus services to discourage working-class voters. During the campaign, Lula promoted a constitutional amendment to shorten the workweek and raised the prospect of free public transport on weekends.

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 on the result. US Senator Bernie Sanders described the re-election as extraordinary. Relations with Washington remain uncertain, as the Trump administration previously imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products to halt the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro.