Lula wins a fourth term in Brazil; Flávio Bolsonaro rejects the result

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Sunday's presidential runoff with 51.8% of the vote to 48.2% for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes with all ballots counted, according to Brazil's electoral court. Bolsonaro said it is "impossible to acknowledge the result" and called for the election to be annulled, objecting to a Supreme Court justice's order, issued three minutes before closing, to keep polls open two more hours; both candidates had asked for extensions. Lula's new term begins January 5, 2027.

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Why it matters

Brazil's next president was chosen by a margin of about 3.6 percentage points, and the losing candidate is calling for the result to be annulled. Legal experts quoted by ABC News said the challenge probably lacks legal weight because both candidates asked for polls to stay open, while AP reports the extension may prompt legal action.

What to watch

Lula's new term begins January 5, 2027.

How each side sees it

Lula saysIn his victory speech he said Brazil "will not accept being anyone's backyard"; during the campaign he argued a Bolsonaro government would hand sovereignty to the U.S.

Flávio Bolsonaro saysThe late extension was a "dirty trick" that "changed the rules in the middle of the game"; he noted the justice who ordered it is Lula's former lawyer, and he wants the election annulled.

Sources

Checked against 4 established news sources:

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Published Monday, October 26, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.