Lula keeps Brazil presidency in tight runoff

Rain slowed the flow of voters across Brazil on Sunday, but it did not stop the counting of ballots that kept President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in power. The Superior Electoral Court confirmed late on Sunday night that Lula captured 51.78 percent of valid votes in the presidential runoff. His opponent, right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, received 48.22 percent.

Heavy downpours and technical glitches disrupted voting in various regions. Polls were originally scheduled to close at 7 p.m. local time. The Supreme Court approved a two-hour extension, keeping polling stations open until 9 p.m. to allow stranded voters to cast their ballots. Both campaigns reportedly requested the extension due to transport disruptions caused by the weather.

Flavio Bolsonaro announced that his legal team would move to annul the election. He cited the two-hour extension as an arbitrary change to the rules by Lula's allies on the Federal Supreme Court. "We will engage our legal team and seek to have these elections annulled," Bolsonaro said. "I will not accept that the rules of the game have been arbitrarily changed, once again, by Lula's friends on the Federal Supreme Court."

Lula’s victory marks the first time in modern Brazilian history that a candidate lost the first round of voting and then won the second. The result runs counter to a regional trend where conservative governments have recently taken power in several Latin American nations. Lula is scheduled to begin his new term on January 5, 2027.

After the results were tallied, Lula addressed his supporters. He promised to "deliver the best term any president has ever served" and stated he would dedicate himself 24 hours a day to the country. He framed the win as a defense of national sovereignty, saying, "In this election, we defeated the interference that was coming from the outside in. Brazil is no one's back yard."

Lula has focused his administration on poverty reduction, social spending, and environmental protection. He has also pursued closer ties with emerging economies like China and Iran while criticizing Israel and the United States. The outcome drew congratulations from international leaders, including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The next step in the process involves the formalization of the results by the electoral authorities. Flavio Bolsonaro’s legal challenge will proceed through the courts in the coming weeks. Lula will remain in office until his inauguration in January.