Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has defeated right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a contentious presidential race in Brazil. His win came after he had lost the first round, a result that energised the country’s political right.
Around 9:13pm Brasilia time (00:13 GMT), Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court declared Lula the winner. He had secured 51 percent of the vote, with more than 51.49 million ballots cast in his favour. Bolsonaro took 48.68 percent, or 48.8 million ballots, leaving just over 2.6 million votes between the two candidates.
A historic comeback in the runoff
Lula’s victory is historic. According to the reporting, no other politician in modern Brazilian history has lost the first round of a presidential vote and then gone on to win the second.
Also read: Brazil Run-off: Lula and Bolsonaro Hold Final Rallies
He had entered Sunday’s runoff as the underdog. Although he had narrowly led in pre-election polling, the first round on October 4 put him behind Bolsonaro, with 45 percent to the senator’s 47 percent. Neither candidate reached the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.
In the weeks that followed, Lula focused his campaign on cost-of-living concerns. He backed a constitutional amendment, passed this month, that shortened the Brazilian working week. He also floated the idea of free public transport on weekends.
Allegations of voter suppression on polling day
The vote was overshadowed by allegations of voter suppression. Reports emerged that public transport had been suspended in some areas on polling day.
Lula’s allies accused Bolsonaro’s supporters of cutting transport services in an effort to weaken turnout among the president’s working-class base. Separately, heavy rain affected southern areas regarded as Bolsonaro strongholds.
Both campaigns ultimately asked the Supreme Court for an extension of voting. Polling stations across the country stayed open two hours longer than planned, until 7pm Brasilia time (22:00 GMT).
Lula’s record and the challenges ahead
Lula, a former metalworkers’ union leader, first entered politics in the 1980s, during the final years of the country’s military dictatorship. He has now run for president seven times. He won two consecutive terms from 2002 to 2010, followed by a third term in 2022, which was the closest race in modern Brazilian history up to that point.
That 2022 contest was against former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, the father of Senator Bolsonaro, who is his opponent in this race. Jair Bolsonaro has since been sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in plotting a coup after losing to Lula.
Lula, who is 80, will be sworn in on January 5, 2027, which will make him the oldest Brazilian president to take the oath of office since the country returned to democracy. The victory also gives him an unprecedented fourth non-consecutive term.
Despite a fall in poverty and low unemployment during his third term, Lula has faced questions about his age, his handling of crime and the country’s polarised politics. Heavy household debt has also left many Brazilians feeling worse off. In September, he banned online gambling and sports betting apps to address the problem. His legislative agenda may now face obstacles from what is described as the most right-wing Congress in recent memory.
