Brazil: Lula wins fourth presidential term

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won another term after the presidential runoff held on 25 October 2026. Brazil's electoral court declared his victory, Reuters reported. It will be a fourth presidential term for the 80-year-old politician.

Victory by more than four million votes

Lula defeated Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, by more than four million votes. Reuters noted that the result reversed the first-round order, when Bolsonaro had led.

The defeated candidate did not concede and said he would seek to have the result annulled. He cited a court decision allowing voting to continue for an additional two hours. This is an announced intention to challenge the result, not a ruling overturning the election. The legal dispute does not change the fact that the electoral court has declared Lula the winner.

Challenges ahead

During the campaign, Lula focused on social policy and support for households. Analysts cited by Reuters say his new term will begin amid strong opposition in Congress, high debt and economic constraints.

The outcome of Brazil's election matters beyond its borders: Brazil is one of Latin America's largest economies and a major participant in international trade and diplomacy. The competing positions of the winner and the opposition on public spending and foreign policy remain subjects of political debate.

Source: Reuters, 26 October 2026 — official confirmation of Brazil's election result.

Photo: Renan / Unsplash (Unsplash License). Illustrative panoramic view of São Paulo, not a photograph from election night.