Lula wins fourth Brazil term in historic runoff victory over Flávio Bolsonaro
The 80-year-old leftist overcame a first-round deficit to defeat the far-right candidate 51.79% to 48.21%, becoming the first runner-up to win a Brazilian runoff since democracy returned.
At a glance
- Lula wins fourth presidential term with 51.79% of runoff vote, reversing first-round loss to Flávio Bolsonaro.
- Historic comeback marks first time a first-round runner-up has won a Brazilian presidential runoff since democracy returned.
- Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to concede, alleging irregularities over extended voting hours; father Jair Bolsonaro remains imprisoned for 2022 coup attempt.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a historic fourth term on Sunday, defeating far-right challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff election that reversed the first-round outcome. With all votes counted, the 80-year-old leftist received 51.79% to Bolsonaro's 48.21%, a margin of 4.3 million votes after trailing by 2.2 million three weeks earlier.
No candidate who lost the first round had won the second since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s. Lula's comeback sparked celebrations in São Paulo, where he addressed thousands of supporters. "We are going to change the way that this country is governed … This election was a defeat for denialism," Lula said. Vice-president Geraldo Alckmin told the crowd: "You saved Brazilian democracy for the second time."
Allies attributed the turnaround to higher turnout among Lula voters. Abstention fell from 21.08% in the first round to 19.21% in the runoff, narrowing a gap that had disproportionately affected Lula's base, who often live farther from polling stations. Massive rallies on Saturday, including more than a million people on Rio's Copacabana beach and an even larger march on São Paulo's Paulista Avenue, signaled late momentum.
Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, refused to concede, echoing his father Jair Bolsonaro's rejection of defeat in 2022. The senator claimed a Supreme Court justice's decision to extend voting hours by two hours was "unacceptable" and vowed to seek annulment. His campaign had also requested the extension. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his 2022 loss.
International leaders welcomed the result. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote: "Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won." Paraguayan President Santiago Peña saluted "this great democratic journey." The outcome is a setback for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had backed Bolsonaro as part of a broader alignment with right-wing leaders in Latin America.
Lula's victory caps a political career that began in São Paulo's industrial suburbs in the late 1970s. Born in rural poverty, he lost three presidential bids before winning in 2002, becoming Brazil's first elected working-class president. He returns to office at 81, facing a polarized electorate and a far-right movement that shows no sign of retreating.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- What was the final vote percentage in Brazil's 2026 presidential runoff?
- Lula received 51.79% of the vote to Flávio Bolsonaro's 48.21% with 100% of votes counted.
- Why is Lula's victory considered historic?
- He is the first candidate to lose the first round and win the runoff since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s.
- How did Flávio Bolsonaro respond to the result?
- He refused to concede, calling the election result impossible to accept and vowing legal action to annul the vote over extended voting hours.
