Lula Secures Fourth Term with 64 Million Votes

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the Brazilian presidential runoff on Sunday, securing a fourth non-consecutive term after trailing in the first round. The Superior Electoral Court declared him the winner shortly after 9 p.m. Brasilia time. Counting was still under way, but the incumbent had accumulated over 64 million ballots, representing more than 51 percent of the vote. His opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, received more than 59 million ballots and 48 percent of the total. The margin of victory exceeded four million votes.

Lula, 80, is scheduled to take office on January 5, 2027. This date makes him the oldest president sworn in since Brazil’s return to democracy. He becomes the first politician in modern Brazilian history to win a runoff after losing the opening round. In the October 4 first round, Lula received 45 percent of the vote, while Bolsonaro captured 47 percent.

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

The extension followed reports of disruption and voter suppression. Lula’s allies accused Bolsonaro supporters of limiting bus services to discourage working-class voters. Heavy rainfall also affected southern areas that are traditionally strongholds for the right. Lula campaigned on living costs and promoted a constitutional amendment passed this month to shorten the workweek. He also raised the prospect of free public transport on weekends and banned online gambling and sports betting apps in September.

Lula faces a challenging legislative environment for his next term. He will serve alongside the most right-wing Congress in recent memory. Speaking at a podium decorated with flags, he acknowledged the difficulty of passing legislation. “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.”

The election result interrupts a streak of presidential gains by the regional right in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula, and US Senator Bernie Sanders called the re-election extraordinary. Many right-wing leaders in the region have benefited from anti-incumbent sentiment and support from US President Donald Trump.

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. Judges involved faced sanctions. 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 outcome.