Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court declared Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the winner of Sunday’s presidential runoff with 51.79 percent of valid votes, securing a fourth non-consecutive term after he trailed in the first round.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court president Kassio Nunes Marques announced Sunday night that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had been re-elected with 64,256,232 valid votes, or 51.79 percent, against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21 percent, with 100 percent of precincts counted.
The result marks the first time since Brazil restored direct presidential elections in 1989 that a candidate who finished second in the first round won the runoff; Lula had trailed by about 2.2 million votes on October 4.
Turnout rose as abstention fell from 21.08 percent in the first round to 19.2 percent, and Lula addressed supporters in São Paulo saying the outcome was a victory for democracy.
The TSE’s official tally and the court’s announcement confirm the figures and the declaration of victory, while Reuters, AP and the Guardian independently reported the same percentages and Bolsonaro’s refusal to concede.
Flávio Bolsonaro said he would seek annulment over a last-minute Supreme Court order that extended voting hours by two hours nationwide after reports of transport problems.
Lula is set to begin the new term on January 5, 2027; markets that had priced in a Bolsonaro win face the immediate reaction, and any legal challenge from the losing side will be the next fixed point that can confirm or alter the outcome.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Mixed
- Lula: This election was a defeat for denialism
- Flávio Bolsonaro: will seek annulment of the result
- TSE president Nunes Marques: congratulated both candidates and noted lower abstention