From 2.2 million behind to 4.3 million ahead: Lula wins fourth term as Brazil president in historic upset over right-wing Bolsonaro
A rare election reversal
Lula, Brazil’s leftist incumbent, overcame Flávio Bolsonaro after falling behind in the election’s first round in early October. The narrow loss had raised doubts about his political future and left progressive supporters in despair.
No first-round runner-up had won the second vote since Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s. Lula had trailed by 2.2 million votes three weeks earlier, but finished the election ahead by 4.3 million.
A long political career
The result gives Lula a fourth term and a striking final chapter in a political career that began in the late 1970s. He first emerged as a union leader in São Paulo’s industrial suburbs, and turns 81 on Tuesday.
After serving the maximum two consecutive terms allowed by the constitution, Lula returned to power by winning the 2022 election against Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro. The former president was later jailed for plotting a coup.
Supporters celebrate, allies lose
Lula’s victory prompted celebrations in São Paulo, where he followed the count, and at the hotel where he watched it. The day before, more than a million people gathered at Rio’s Copacabana beach, while an even larger crowd marched along Paulista Avenue in São Paulo.
Lula told supporters, “There’s never been a demonstration like this one,” and predicted a win with more than 60% of the votes. Camilo Buarque, 35, said his confidence came from the crowd’s “energy” and “love,” adding, “This is democracy.” The outcome was also a setback for Donald Trump, described as the Bolsonaro clan’s most important international ally. In São Paulo, some people were angry over what they saw as an effort by pro-Bolsonaro politicians to disrupt voting by sabotaging public transport in areas that favored Lula.
Key points
- Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro to win a historic fourth term as Brazil’s president.
- He overturned a 2.2 million-vote deficit from the first round and won by 4.3 million votes.
- No first-round runner-up had won the second vote since democracy returned in the 1980s.
- Lula’s win was a setback for Donald Trump, the Bolsonaro clan’s most important international ally.