Brazil Election: Lula Secures Fourth Term in Tight Runoff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term in office on Sunday, defeating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro by a margin of nearly 4.4 million votes. With all votes counted, Brazil’s electoral court reported that Lula received 51.8 percent of the total vote.

The victory extends the political distance between Latin America’s largest economy and the United States. Lula, who is a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, retains control of a nation with a gross domestic product of 2.6 trillion U.S. dollars per year. His win leaves both Brazil and Mexico, the region’s two most populous countries, under the leadership of left-of-centre figures.

The election night was marked by confusion at polling stations across the country. Three minutes before the scheduled end of voting, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered that polls remain open for two additional hours. Both candidates had requested the extension. Lula’s request followed transportation issues for voters in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro cited heavy rains in the southern states where he had support.

The sudden decision delayed the vote tally by two hours. It remained unclear how many polling locations stayed open after the original closing time. In Rio de Janeiro, some voting machines had already been switched off and could not be restarted. In Brasilia, volunteers at a school debated whether to remain for the extension, with most leaving 15 to 20 minutes after the initial close.

Nikolas Ferreira, an ally of Bolsonaro, pointed out that Justice Zanin served as Lula’s lawyer in the past. Bolsonaro stated after the results were announced that he wants the election annulled because of the extension. He had not yet issued a formal concession to Lula at the time of reporting.

Lula addressed his supporters in a video released by his campaign, wearing red star-shaped glasses and kissing his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva. He pledged to respect all Brazilians regardless of gender or religion. He characterized the result as a defeat for denialism and lies. He said, "This country will not accept being anyone's backyard."

The race was closely contested. Bolsonaro led Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round held earlier this month. Sunday’s result marks the first time since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985 that the second-place finisher from the first round won the presidency. Voters focused on the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform and promised to lower food prices. Lula invested in incentives to attract undecided voters.

Lula turns 81 on Tuesday. He joins Donald Trump and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as the oldest current presidents in the Americas, all aged 80. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader and helped found the Workers' Party. He first won the presidency in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006. His new term begins on January 5, 2027.