Lula wins fourth term as Flávio Bolsonaro challenges Brazil election result

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth non-consecutive term after defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff election. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner with about 51.8% of valid votes, compared with roughly 48.2% for Bolsonaro, a margin of more than four million votes.

The result marked the first time since Brazil’s return to democracy that a candidate who placed second in the opening round prevailed in the runoff. Turnout increased after record abstention in the first round, with analysts and Lula allies crediting stronger participation among his supporters for the reversal.

Bolsonaro refused to concede and said he would ask the electoral court to annul the vote. He objected to a Supreme Court decision that kept polling stations open for an additional two hours following complaints that public transport disruptions and heavy rain had prevented some voters from reaching voting sites. Electoral court president Kassio Nunes Marques said the extension delayed the count but did not affect the final result. Reports said both campaigns had sought additional voting time in affected regions.

Lula’s new term is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2027. He told supporters he would dedicate himself to delivering his best presidential term.

On Monday, the South China Morning Post reported, citing two unnamed sources, that Bolsonaro had traveled to the United States after failing to surrender passports that authorities had cancelled in connection with a money-laundering investigation. His lawyer declined to comment, and the US embassy did not immediately respond to the newspaper.