Lula wins fourth term as Brazil president after historic upset over far-right Flávio Bolsonaro
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has staged a dramatic election fightback, defeating far-right opponent Flávio Bolsonaro to claim a historic fourth term as Brazil president.
With 100% of votes counted, Lula received 4.4m more votes than Bolsonaro, securing 51.79% to his rival's 48.21%. The victory comes after Lula narrowly lost the first round in early October, a scenario unprecedented since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s.
Following the result confirmation, Bolsonaro immediately refused to concede defeat, asking for the election to be annulled. His legal team plans to challenge the results, citing a supreme court justice's decision to extend voting hours as the alleged reason.
Victory Celebration
Joyous scenes erupted on the streets of São Paulo where Lula had been monitoring the results. Addressing a packed conference hall of ecstatic supporters, Lula declared: "We are going to change the way that this country is governed … This election was a defeat for denialism … I want to thank God and to thank you, Brazilian men and women of this country … it was democracy that made this happen."
This is a huge victory for the Brazilian people who in the second round had the chance to think about what President Lula means for the environment, for the defense of our national health service and our education system and the Brazilian constitution. And the risks that the extreme right candidate entailed.
Padilha emphasized the significance of the victory beyond Brazil's borders, stating: "It's a massive victory – not just for Brazil. It's also an important signal to the rest of Latin America and to the world."
Bolsonaro's Response
Bolsonaro, who is 45, claimed it was "impossible to concede the election result" and accused Justice Cristiano Zanin of "changing the rules of the game while the game was being played" by extending voting hours by two hours to 7pm. Notably, his campaign had also requested the electoral court to extend voting hours.
The younger Bolsonaro appears to have made up significant ground by successfully persuading his voters to turn out after a record abstention rate of 21.08% in the first round. The rate fell to 19.21% in the second round, though this still disproportionately affected Lula voters who tend to live further from polling stations.
Political Legacy
For Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, the victory represents a sensational final chapter in a political career that began when he emerged as a union leader in São Paulo's industrial suburbs in the late 1970s. Born in rural poverty, the former factory worker made three unsuccessful presidential bids before finally becoming Brazil's first elected working-class president in 2002.
Lula stepped down after the maximum two consecutive terms allowed by the constitution but returned to power after winning the 2022 election against Bolsonaro's father, Jair Bolsonaro, who was subsequently jailed for plotting a coup. This victory further solidifies Lula's place as one of Brazil's most significant political figures.
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