Lula wins Brazil runoff 51.79% to 48.21%, Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to concede

A comeback in the runoff

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected president of Brazil on Sunday, 25 October, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round. In the closed count he received 64.2 million votes against 59.8 million for Bolsonaro, which gives him 51.79% of valid votes to Bolsonaro's 48.21%. Official results were known around 1 a.m. on Monday, 26 October. Lula had finished behind Bolsonaro in the first round on 4 October, and no candidate who lost the first round had won a Brazilian runoff before. Abstention fell from 21.08% to 19.21%, with 2.83 million more voters casting ballots. Lula turns 81 on Tuesday and becomes the first president in Brazil's history to be elected four times by popular vote.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva64.2

Flávio Bolsonaro59.8

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

64.2 million votes

Flávio Bolsonaro

59.8 million votes

Data from the article text

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva51.79%

Flávio Bolsonaro48.21%

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

51.79 %

Flávio Bolsonaro

48.21 %

Data from the article text

Bolsonaro refuses to concede

Flávio Bolsonaro has not accepted the result and said it was impossible for him to recognise defeat. The dispute centres on a Supreme Federal Court (STF) decision that extended the closing time of polling stations by two hours. His campaign had asked for the extension on Sunday afternoon. Bolsonaro told supporters that the decision had been a break with normal practice.

“What happened today was not normal, it was in fact unacceptable.”

He accused a Supreme Court minister, Zanin, of changing the rules mid-game at 17:01 and of acting outside the specialised electoral court. He said he will ask for the election to be annulled.

Lula's priorities

In his victory speech, Lula promised the best mandate in the country's history. He thanked older voters who went to the polls and young people who organised street movements. He said his campaign had to overcome outside "interference" from digital platforms. Regulation of large technology companies, public security, including the creation of a ministry, and education were the priorities he named. Lula will also have to work with a Congress that has a larger opposition.

“I have to govern for 215 million people. I have to govern every city.”

Reactions in Portugal and across the region

Portugal's President António José Seguro issued a note from Belém Palace congratulating Lula and pointing to a long, close bilateral relationship built on a common language and shared history. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro congratulated Lula on X and called Portugal and Brazil important economic partners. António Costa, president of the European Council, posted a photo with Lula and wrote about the Brazilian people. José Luís Carneiro, secretary-general of the Socialist Party, called the result an important victory for democracy. The Chega party expressed support for Flávio Bolsonaro.

“The Brazilian people have spoken.”

In the region, Cuba's Miguel Díaz-Canel, Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz, Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa and former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner congratulated Lula, as did Venezuela's foreign ministry. In the United States, senator Bernie Sanders said Lula had defended Brazilian workers and democracy. In Israel, foreign minister Gideon Saar praised Flávio Bolsonaro as a friend of Israel, recalled Lula's accusation that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, and said Bolsonaro had promised to move Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he was very dissatisfied with Lula's victory, and Israel votes on Tuesday, 27 October.