Lula Wins a Fourth Term in Brazil, Defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a Tight Runoff
The president took more than 51% of the vote against the son of jailed ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, in an election day marked by chaos over polling hours.
BRASILIA, Brazil — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected to a fourth term, according to official results from Sunday's runoff, completing a comeback that few expected after he trailed in the first round.
With more than 96% of votes counted, Lula had won more than 51%, while Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro had more than 48%. Bolsonaro, 45, led a right-wing political dynasty that had promised closer relations with President Donald Trump. Lula's win extends a career that already includes three nonconsecutive presidential terms.
The contest was a rematch of Brazil's deepest political divide. Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost to Lula in 2022 and is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to overturn that result. His son had pledged to pardon him. In the first round on Oct. 4, Flávio Bolsonaro finished first with 47.03% of valid votes to Lula's 45.16%, according to the electoral court's figures. Trump called that result "a big victory," and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said only that a second round was expected.
Election day itself was chaotic. Around midday, Lula's campaign asked for voting hours to be extended, arguing that some local governments had cut bus service and made it harder for people to reach polling stations. Bolsonaro also sought an extension, citing heavy rain in some states. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin eventually ordered voting extended by two hours beyond the normal 5 p.m. close.
The order reached some polling stations too late. Officials there had already deactivated the electronic voting machines, so voting could not resume. Manuela Tunas, a 36-year-old accountant, arrived at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro shortly after 6 p.m. after her flight was delayed and could not vote. "This is absurd," she said. "If some people can vote, and others can't, it's unfair."
The race drew international attention for what it means for a growing right-wing movement in Latin America, the future of the Amazon rainforest and the fate of Brazil's democracy, which is roughly 40 years old. Early in the campaign, Brazilians showed little enthusiasm for street rallies because both camps are so well established. Bolsonaro's first-place finish in round one changed that, and in recent days supporters of both sides filled rallies and flooded social media.
In the end, Lula's message of continuity and social spending prevailed. "I think people woke up about the risk of a Bolsonaro government after the first round, and the mobilization made a difference," said Alessandra Miguel, a 35-year-old spa worker who voted for Lula in the Rocinha favela in Rio.
Lula will govern a sharply divided country. Jairo Nicolau, a Brazilian political scientist who studies presidential elections, said one of the most striking features of the contest was how rigid voters' loyalties were. Unlike in past years, he said, "people's identity of belonging to a tribe became more important than how they view different policy options."
How Bolsonaro responds, and how Washington reacts to a Lula victory after backing his rival, will shape the first days of the new term.
