RIO DE JANEIRO — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won another term as Brazil’s president Sunday, beating Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in the runoff. It will be Lula’s fourth, nonconsecutive term in office.
The final tally from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court put Lula at 51.8%. His lead over Bolsonaro was nearly 4.4 million votes.
With the result declared, Lula is due to begin his new term Jan. 5, 2027.
Lula thanked the country in a statement posted on X. He presented the win as a fresh commitment to democracy, social justice, national sovereignty and a better future.
“This victory is not an endpoint, but a renewal of our commitment to Brazil, to social justice, sovereignty, and the hope of a better future for all,”
He also described the country he wants to govern. Older people should be cared for with dignity, women should be respected and everyone should be free to practice their faith, he said. The state, he added, must guarantee rights without regard to people’s differences.
For Lula, that responsibility extends to the entire country.
“We made history in the streets and at the ballot boxes,” Lula wrote, adding that democracy had prevailed and the country’s journey was far from finished.
Sunday’s vote turned around the first-round result. Bolsonaro had finished more than 2.2 million votes ahead on Oct. 4, receiving 47.03% to Lula’s 45.16%, according to the electoral court.
Lula is the first candidate since Brazil’s military rule ended in 1985 to finish second in the opening round and then win the presidency. He held office from 2003 through 2010 and returned in 2023.
The final hours at the polls were marked by confusion. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting to continue nationwide for two additional hours after both campaigns requested more time.
It was not immediately known how many polling places remained open during the extension. Bolsonaro may challenge Zanin’s decision in court, the AP reported.
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