Lula Wins Fourth Term, Bolsonaro Son Vows Court Fight

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term as president of Brazil on Sunday, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.79 percent of the vote.

The Workers' Party leader received 64.2 million votes, outpacing the former president's son by more than four million ballots. Flávio Bolsonaro secured 48.21 percent of the total, or 59.8 million votes, in the second round held on October 25.

The result reversed a deficit from the first round on October 4. Flávio Bolsonaro led by two points in that initial contest, a gap that polls suggested would be difficult to close. Lula's final margin of nearly four points exceeded the difference he achieved against Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.

Flávio Bolsonaro disputed the outcome immediately after the count. He cited a judicial order that extended voting hours by two minutes nationwide. The extension was issued by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former attorney for Lula, just before the polls closed. Zanin ordered the change in response to a request from Lula's campaign, which claimed free bus services were insufficient in right-leaning cities.

Kassio Nunes Marques, president of the Superior Electoral Court, stated that the late notice caused technical, operational, and security difficulties. Many polling stations closed on their original schedule because they did not receive the updated instruction in time. Flávio Bolsonaro called the event an unacceptable violation of equality and said he would seek annulment of the election in the courts.

Lula framed the campaign as a choice between democratic stability and the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump. In his victory speech, he declared that Brazil does not accept being anyone's backyard. He expressed a desire for the nation to remain central in global discussions rather than peripheral. The reelected leader also credited young voters for defending democracy and older citizens for reducing high abstention rates.

Supporters gathered in large numbers in São Paulo to celebrate the result. Tens of thousands filled Avenida Paulista, where Lula addressed the crowd. The event marked a larger public display than the 2022 victory celebration. As Lula approaches his 81st birthday, he must now negotiate with a Congress that leans more to the right than in previous cycles.