Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured a historic fourth presidential term, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested runoff election and prompting celebrations across the country.
With 98.87% of ballot boxes counted, Brazil’s electoral court declared Lula the winner with 51.79% of the vote, compared with 48.21% for Bolsonaro.
The result marks an unprecedented turnaround in Brazil’s democratic history. Lula became the first candidate since the country returned to democracy to finish second in the first round of a presidential election and then win the runoff.
Thousands of jubilant supporters gathered in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the victory, waving Brazilian flags, singing and setting off fireworks. In São Paulo, crowds filled Avenida Paulista as Lula prepared to address his supporters.
During his victory speech, Lula thanked young voters, women, teachers, workers and campaign supporters for helping him overcome his earlier electoral setback.
“Long live democracy,” Lula declared as Brazil’s national anthem played. He also promised that his fourth term would be the best in the country’s history and said he intended to listen more closely to the Brazilian people.
Lula highlighted workers’ rights and national sovereignty during his address. His campaign had gained momentum in the final weeks, with efforts to increase voter turnout playing a significant role.
However, the election result was met with anger and resistance from Bolsonaro, who refused to accept the outcome and called for the election to be annulled.
Bolsonaro argued that the rules had been changed after Brazil’s Supreme Court extended voting hours by two hours. The extension followed requests from both campaigns, which cited difficulties affecting voters, including transport shortages and adverse weather conditions.
Lula’s campaign had raised concerns that a lack of buses prevented some voters from reaching polling stations, while Bolsonaro’s team pointed to heavy rain in parts of southern Brazil and São Paulo.
Despite the objections, Brazil’s electoral authorities declared Lula the winner. No presidential election in the country has previously been annulled, according to the BBC report.
The result also drew congratulations from leaders across Latin America. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and other regional leaders praised Brazil’s electoral process and congratulated Lula on his victory.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro supporters expressed disappointment, with some leaving gatherings in Brasília as the results became clear.
Lula’s victory represents a major political milestone for Brazil. He is set to remain in office until 2030, beginning a fourth presidential term after one of the country’s most closely contested elections.
The result now leaves Brazil facing questions about political divisions, the legal challenge threatened by Bolsonaro’s camp and the challenges Lula will confront as he begins his new term.
Reporting by Borderless for The Borderless Journal. Filed under Uncategorized · 26 Oct 2026, 12:00.
