Lula wins fourth term after Brazil runoff comeback

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff on Oct. 25, defeating right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro and securing a fourth, non-consecutive term. Lula received about 51.8% of the vote, compared with Bolsonaro’s roughly 48.2%, according to results reported by multiple outlets.

The victory followed an unusual reversal: Lula had finished second in the first round before overtaking Bolsonaro during the three-week runoff campaign. It was the first time in Brazil’s democratic history that a second-place first-round candidate went on to win the presidency.

Lula’s allies credited a WhatsApp channel called “Lula’s Army” with helping the campaign mobilize supporters online. Led by Congressman André Janones, the channel grew to 10.8 million followers and distributed videos, hashtags and recruitment tasks. Political scientists cautioned that its direct effect on voting cannot be measured.

Despite winning the presidency, Lula faces a strongly conservative Congress, where Bolsonaro-aligned parties and lawmakers representing agribusiness and mining interests increased their influence. That balance is expected to require negotiation and coalition-building from the incoming administration.

The result preserves Brazil’s engagement with BRICS and Lula’s policy of active non-alignment. It also keeps in office an administration committed to achieving zero deforestation by 2030, although conservative control across much of the Amazon region and opposition in Congress could complicate its environmental agenda. China responded cautiously, with President Xi Jinping describing the relationship as an example of cooperation among Global South countries.