Lula Defeats Flavio Bolsonaro in Runoff to Win Record Fourth Term

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a record fourth term as president of Brazil, defeating right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff vote. The 80-year-old leftist secured 51 percent of the vote, while Bolsonaro received 48 percent. Electoral authorities declared Lula the winner once 98.76 percent of ballots were counted.

The victory completes a comeback that no Brazilian presidential candidate had achieved in nearly four decades. Lula lost the first round on October 4 by a margin of 2.2 million votes. Bolsonaro had won that earlier contest with 47.03 percent against Lula’s 45.16 percent.

In the days following the first round, Lula focused on winning back abstaining voters and emphasizing the cost of living. He also defended his social programs. Polls showed the two men tied in the final days. The race remained close until the final tallies. Lula gained support in the northeast, a traditional base for his Workers' Party. Bolsonaro performed better in the south, southeast, and center-west regions.

A late decision to extend voting hours complicated the final day. Both campaigns requested more time. Lula’s team alleged that local officials cut public transport to hinder lower-income voters. Bolsonaro’s campaign cited heavy rain and flooding. In Minas Gerais, regional courts reported that 349 polling stations lost power, though machines ran on backup batteries.

Voting was scheduled to end at 5 p.m. Brasilia time. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered stations to remain open until 7 p.m. The order arrived after some locations had already closed. Zanin later clarified that closed stations would not reopen. This caused confusion, and some voters were turned away despite the extension.

Bolsonaro has pledged to challenge the result. He accused Zanin of judicial malfeasance and noted that Zanin served as Lula’s personal lawyer before his 2023 appointment to the Supreme Court. “He changes the rules of the game mid-game,” Bolsonaro said. He told supporters that it is impossible to recognize the election results.

Brazil’s Federal Police are investigating transport disruptions in five states. A court in Salvador ordered the arrest of the city’s transport secretary. The official is accused of directing bus service cuts. Donald Trump Jr. also criticized the voting extension on social media. Monica Yanakiew, a correspondent for Al Jazeera, described the judicial system as very divided and predicted significant political negotiation.

Turnout influenced the outcome. Andrei Roman, head of AtlasIntel, noted a drop in abstention as a factor in Lula’s win. In the first round, approximately 33.4 million Brazilians, or 21 percent of the electorate, did not vote. This was the highest abstention rate in a general election since 1998. Lula also promised free public transport on weekends to appeal to his working-class base.

The result impacts US President Donald Trump’s goals in Latin America. State Department officials recently pushed for sanctions against Brazil to weaken Lula. Trump said on Sunday that he is watching the situation. Lula built his campaign around defending Brazilian sovereignty. He cited Trump’s tariffs and comments on Jair Bolsonaro’s trial as foreign interference.

In his victory speech, Lula said he had to overcome outside interference. He described the election as a defeat for denialism and lies.