64 million votes push Lula to fourth term

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday.

The Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner shortly after 9 p.m. Brasilia time. At that point, he had secured more than 51 percent of the vote. That total amounted to over 64 million ballots. His opponent, right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, received more than 59 million votes, or 48 percent. The difference between the two candidates exceeded 4 million votes.

Lula, an 80-year-old former metalworkers' union leader, will take office on January 5, 2027. This victory marks the first time in modern Brazilian history that a candidate won a runoff after losing the opening round. It also grants him a fourth non-consecutive term, making him the oldest president sworn in since the country's return to democracy. He entered the runoff with 45 percent of the vote in the October 4 first round, trailing Bolsonaro's 47 percent. During the campaign, Lula focused on living costs, promoted a constitutional amendment to shorten the workweek, and proposed free public transport on weekends.

Speaking at a podium decorated with flags, Lula thanked voters for defending democracy. He acknowledged the difficulty of working with the next 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. The election also interrupted a streak of presidential wins by the regional right in countries including Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Bolsonaro refused to concede the defeat. He said 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 the rules during the election. The extension followed reports of voter suppression and heavy rainfall in southern areas. Lula's allies claimed Bolsonaro supporters limited bus services to discourage working-class voters.

Relations with Washington remain uncertain. The Trump administration supported the Bolsonaro family and imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products last year. This move aimed to halt the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio's father. Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated in 2022, received a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup. Donald Trump Jr criticized the voting extension on social media, while US Representative Ro Khanna urged the president to respect the result. Lula has described Washington's earlier pressure as an attack on Brazil's judicial sovereignty.