Lula Wins Brazil Runoff With More Than 64 Million Votes

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won re-election in Brazil's runoff on Sunday, taking more than 64 million votes against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's 59 million. The Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner shortly after 9pm Brasilia time. With counting still under way, Lula held more than 51 percent of the vote to Bolsonaro's 48 percent, a gap exceeding 4 million ballots.

The result makes Lula the first politician in modern Brazilian history to win a runoff after losing the opening round. He becomes the first to win a fourth non-consecutive presidential term. The 80-year-old former metalworkers' union leader takes office on January 5, 2027, surpassing his own record as the oldest president sworn in since Brazil's return to democracy.

Speaking from a podium decorated with flags, Lula thanked voters for defending democracy and noted the legislative hurdles ahead. "I do not choose the Congress," he said. "It was the people who chose it, and it is with them that I will vote, work and get things approved." His next term will face the most right-wing Congress in recent memory.

Bolsonaro refused to concede and said he would seek to annul the outcome, challenging a Supreme Court decision that extended voting by two hours. Both campaigns had requested additional time, and polling stations nationwide stayed open until 7pm Brasilia time. Bolsonaro accused the court of changing the rules during the election and said he could not accept the result.

The extension followed reports that public transport had been suspended in some areas, which prompted Lula's allies to accuse Bolsonaro supporters of limiting bus services to discourage the president's working-class voters. Heavy rainfall also affected southern regions regarded as Bolsonaro strongholds.

Lula entered the runoff after taking 45 percent in the October 4 first round, behind Bolsonaro's 47 percent. He campaigned on living costs, promoting a constitutional amendment passed this month to shorten the workweek and raising the prospect of free public transport on weekends. Poverty declined and unemployment stayed low during his third term, but rising household debt fueled economic dissatisfaction. In September, he banned online gambling and sports betting apps.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula, and US Senator Bernie Sanders called his re-election "extraordinary". US Representative Ro Khanna urged the president to respect the outcome. Lula has characterized Washington's earlier pressure over Jair Bolsonaro's prosecution as an attack on the sovereignty of Brazil's judicial system.