Lula wins 51.79% of vote to secure fourth presidential term in Brazil

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday to win a fourth term as president of Brazil. The left-wing leader received 51.79% of the vote, a margin of 4.4 million ballots over his opponent. This victory makes Lula the first Brazilian president since the return to civilian rule in 1985 to win a second round after losing the first.

The Supreme Court extended polling hours by two hours on Sunday evening at the request of both campaigns. Lula’s team argued that a lack of buses prevented voters in São Paulo and Bahia from reaching polling stations. Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign cited heavy rain in southern Brazil and São Paulo. The court issued the decision just as stations were scheduled to close, meaning some locations that had already shut could not reopen.

Supreme Court President Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed by former president Jair Bolsonaro, confirmed the result. He stated that the extension did not cause issues for the vote count or the electoral process. Lula addressed celebratory crowds in São Paulo, calling the election a "loss for negativity, lies" and urging supporters to keep democracy alive.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro, refused to recognize the outcome. He called the result "inexplicable" and "impossible," arguing that the vote should be annulled. Electoral law experts described the chance of annulment as remote. Fernando Neisser of the Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo noted the large margin of victory makes a legal challenge difficult. Alberto Rollo added that constitutional dates for presidential elections complicate the process.

The result marked a dramatic shift from the first round held on 4 October. Flávio Bolsonaro led that round with 47% of the vote against Lula’s 45%. Lula’s campaign focused on boosting turnout in the second round. Abstention rates dropped sharply, marking the largest decrease between rounds of a presidential election since 1989. This trend bucked a recent pattern in Latin America where voters in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia elected right-wing candidates.

Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, will begin his new term on 5 January. He will serve until 2030. His first term as president ran from January 2003 to December 2010, followed by a second term starting in January 2023. Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin told Lula that he had saved Brazilian democracy for the second time. Lula said his fourth term would be the best in the country's history and the one in which he listens most to the people.

World leaders have reacted to the win. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azin said the region has shared challenges and much to gain from cooperation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that democracy and multilateralism had won. French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Brazil should work toward a more just world. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it a great victory for global progressivism. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described the win as a success for the global south.

US President Donald Trump has not yet reacted to the result. Trump previously expressed support for Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election. Flávio Bolsonaro met with Trump at the White House earlier this year. In his victory speech, Lula referenced the "Donroe Doctrine" and insisted that Brazil will not accept being anyone's backyard.