Lula defeats Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff for fourth term

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff on October 25, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth term, the Superior Electoral Court declared. Lula received 51.76% of valid votes to Bolsonaro’s 48.24%, according to the court’s final count. The result reversed Lula’s second-place finish in the October 4 first round, when Bolsonaro led 47.03% to 45.16%. Lula is the first candidate since Brazil’s return to democracy to win the presidency after finishing second in the opening round, and the first elected to four terms in that period. His previous terms ran from 2003 to 2010, and he returned to office in 2023 after defeating Jair Bolsonaro. Lula’s victory followed a closely contested campaign and an election day marked by a court-ordered extension of voting. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin authorized polling to continue for up to two additional hours after reports of public transport problems affecting voters. The extension delayed the count and drew criticism from opposition figures. Accounts differ on which campaign or campaigns requested the measure; the court’s order and its effect on voting hours were reported, but the precise sequence of...