Lula took just under 51.8% of valid votes to Bolsonaro’s slightly more than 48.2%, a lead of about 4.4 million votes, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Commentators said Lula is the first politician in Brazil’s recent history to win a run-off after finishing second in the first round. A fourth term is also a record.
“I want to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for so long”, the leftist president said in Sao Paulo in his first speech after the result.
He repeated that Brazil would not be “anyone’s backyard”, a line commentators read as a reference to growing U.S. influence in Latin America and strained ties between Lula and U.S. President Donald Trump. He also accused Bolsonaro of lying.
Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who joined him on stage, said Lula had “saved Brazilian democracy for a second time”.
Leaders of Mexico, Uruguay and several other Latin American countries congratulated Lula, as did U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.
Bolsonaro challenges vote
Bolsonaro, a Senator and ideological ally of Trump, said the result could not be accepted.
“These election results cannot be accepted [...] What happened today was not normal and is not possible to accept”, he said.
He pointed to a decision by Supreme Court judge Cristiano Zanin to extend voting by two hours. The order, announced shortly before polls were due to close, caused confusion among election officials, with some stations shutting on time and others staying open.
Both campaigns had asked for an extension. Lula’s team cited public transport delays in many cities, while Bolsonaro’s team sought longer hours only in some areas because of heavy rain.
Two Brazilian political scientists told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that annulling the result on those grounds was unlikely.
Bolsonaro’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after losing to Lula in 2022. His supporters, disputing that result, called for military intervention and stormed government buildings in Brasilia.
The vote was seen as one of the world’s most consequential this year, with Lula and Bolsonaro offering sharply different economic, social and foreign policy platforms. The outcome was expected to shape Brazil’s relations with the United States, China and Europe, and the protection of the Amazon rainforest.
Lula pledged to maintain current policy, including social welfare programmes and multilateral cooperation. Bolsonaro promised a tougher line on crime, tax and spending cuts, pro-business reforms and closer ties with Washington.
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Source: PAP