Lula wins Brazil runoff with 64 million votes as rival files legal challenge

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured his fourth term as Brazil's leader on Sunday after winning the presidential runoff. The incumbent, who will take office on Jan. 5, 2027, defeated Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro by a margin of nearly 4 percent. Lula received more than 64 million votes, while Bolsonaro received just under 60 million.

The election result depended heavily on a final surge of voters. A total of 14.1 million additional people cast ballots in the second round, a record low number of abstentions for that stage of the election. Analysts estimate that three-quarters of these late voters chose Lula. This shift allowed him to overcome a deficit from the first round, a rare occurrence in Brazilian elections since 1989.

Lula’s victory was driven by a digital strategy led by lawmaker André Janones. Janones managed a WhatsApp channel named “Lula's Army,” which gathered almost 11 million followers. This group mobilized previously uncommitted voters and former non-voters through constant social media messaging. Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas, noted that this aggressive approach contrasted with the infighting and lackluster strategy of the first round.

Flávio Bolsonaro has moved to contest the results. He stated Sunday that he plans to request an annulment of the election. The decision to extend voting hours at the last minute added complexity to the process. The extension was requested by both candidates: Lula cited transportation issues in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro pointed to heavy rains in the south. A Supreme Court justice made the decision minutes before polls were scheduled to close, causing confusion at polling stations.

International reactions have been mixed. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that the election was “rigged” and that the tabulation “looked very bad.” He made these comments without providing specific evidence. Conversely, Kassio Nunes, president of Brazil’s electoral authority, recognized Lula’s victory on Sunday. Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, observed that major political power brokers in Brazil and the region are aligning behind Lula, making a legal challenge difficult for Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s electronic voting system, adopted in the 1990s to prevent fraud, has historically produced results within hours. Although Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, frequently questioned the system during the 2022 campaign, no significant fraud has ever been detected. Flávio Bolsonaro visited his father, who is serving a 27-year sentence for a coup attempt, on Monday. The younger Bolsonaro remains a senator until his term ends in January, and his party will hold the most seats in the right-wing Congress.