Brazil Runoff: Lula Reclaims Presidency in Fourth Term

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claimed a fourth presidential term on Sunday, reversing a first-round deficit to defeat Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner shortly after 9 p.m. Brasilia time. The incumbent secured more than 64 million votes, representing over 51 percent of the total. Bolsonaro received more than 59 million ballots, or 48 percent. The margin of victory exceeded four million votes.

This result marks a first in modern Brazilian history for a candidate who lost the opening round. Lula, an 80-year-old former union leader, will take office on January 5, 2027. He will surpass his own record as the oldest president sworn in since the return of democracy. His victory interrupts a wave of right-wing presidential gains seen in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Lula addressed supporters at a podium decorated with flags, speaking through a hoarse voice and coughing. He thanked voters for defending democracy while acknowledging the difficulty of governing with the current legislature. “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.” His next term will face the most right-wing Congress in recent memory.

Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat and announced plans to challenge the result. He sought to annul the outcome based on a Supreme Court decision that extended voting by two hours. Both campaigns had requested the additional time, keeping polling stations open until 7 p.m. Brasilia time. Bolsonaro accused the court of changing rules during the election and said he could not accept the verdict.

The extension followed disruptions and allegations of voter suppression. Reports of suspended public transport led Lula’s allies to accuse Bolsonaro supporters of limiting bus services to discourage working-class voters. Heavy rainfall also affected southern areas that are traditional Bolsonaro strongholds. In response to rising household debt and economic dissatisfaction, Lula promoted a constitutional amendment to shorten the workweek and raised the prospect of free weekend public transport. He also banned online gambling and sports betting apps in September.

Reactions from the region and the United States were mixed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula, while US Senator Bernie Sanders called the re-election extraordinary. Donald Trump Jr. criticized the voting extension on social media, suggesting judicial malpractice. US Representative Ro Khanna urged the president to respect the outcome. The Trump administration had previously imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products to halt the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, who now faces a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup.