Politics · Brazil · Election 2026

Lula Wins 2026 Brazil Presidency: Historic Fourth Term

📅 Last updated: 27 October 2026📖 14 dated entries✎ By Nazish Fatima

Written & reviewed by Nazish Fatima · Updated October 27, 2026

In short

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil's 2026 presidential runoff, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro after finishing second in the first round. Results, vote

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Lula wins Brazil’s 2026 election: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the 25 October runoff with 51.79% of valid votes, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro after finishing second in the first round. It is his fourth presidential victory, after 2002, 2006 and 2022, and his 64,256,232 votes are the most any Brazilian presidential candidate has received.

The Planalto Palace, the presidential office in Brasilia, lit at night with its curved white columns reflected in a pool — The Planalto Palace in Brasília, the presidential office. Photo: Annemariebr, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Last updated: 27 October 2026

Result: Lula won the 25 October runoff with 51.79% of valid votes. The Superior Electoral Court has confirmed the count.

Challenge: Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to concede and says he will seek annulment over the two-hour extension of voting. A filed petition or court ruling could not be confirmed, and the result stands.
Inauguration: scheduled for 5 January 2027.
Next update: when the electoral court rules on any challenge, and after the inauguration.

💡 Short Answer

Lula won Brazil’s 25 October 2026 runoff with 51.79% of valid votes, 64,256,232 to Flávio Bolsonaro’s 59,826,041, a margin of 3.58 points. Bolsonaro had led the 4 October first round, 47.03% to 45.16%. Bolsonaro has refused to concede; the electoral court has confirmed the result. Lula’s fourth term is due to start on 5 January 2027.

⚡ Lula Wins Brazil Election 2026: Quick Facts

Runoff date25 Oct 2026

Result51.79% to 48.21%

Lula’s votes64,256,232

Margin4.43 million votes

Runoff turnout80.78%

Term begins5 Jan 2027

Brazil Election 2026: Final Results

Share of valid votes, as confirmed by the Superior Electoral Court.

Bar chart of Brazil's 25 October 2026 presidential runoff: Lula 51.79% of valid votes, Flavio Bolsonaro 48.21% — Chart: the 25 October 2026 runoff, Lula 51.79% and Flávio Bolsonaro 48.21% of valid votes. Chart by AiTimeline from Superior Electoral Court figures.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share of valid votes
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	Workers’ Party (PT)	64,256,232	51.79%
Flávio Bolsonaro	Liberal Party (PL)	59,826,041	48.21%
Winning margin	—	4,430,191	3.58 points

Turnout was 80.78%, up from 78.92% in the first round (Wikipedia). Valid votes exclude blank and spoiled ballots, which is why the shares add to 100%. The margin of 4,430,191 votes is narrow in a country with about 158 million registered voters, and the two finalists were separated by 3.58 points.

The Comeback: From 1.87 Points Behind to 3.58 Ahead

The 4 October first round and the 25 October runoff, side by side.

Grouped bar chart: Lula 45.16% and Flavio Bolsonaro 47.03% in the 4 October first round, then Lula 51.79% and Bolsonaro 48.21% in the 25 October runoff — Chart: Lula moved from 1.87 points behind in the first round to 3.58 points ahead in the runoff. Chart by AiTimeline from TSE figures.

Round	Lula	Flávio Bolsonaro	Gap
First round, 4 Oct 2026	45.16%	47.03%	Lula 1.87 points behind
Runoff, 25 Oct 2026	51.79%	48.21%	Lula 3.58 points ahead
Swing	+6.63	+1.18	5.45 points in the margin

Flávio Bolsonaro led the first round, but neither candidate reached the 50% needed to win outright. Lula gained 6.63 points between rounds and Bolsonaro 1.18, as voters who had backed other candidates chose between the finalists. It is the first time since direct presidential elections resumed in 1989 that the first-round leader lost the runoff (Wikipedia); AP describes it as a first since the end of military rule (PBS NewsHour).

⚡ Quick Answers — AI Overview Ready

Lula’s 2026 Win: Key Questions

Who won the Brazil election in 2026?

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the 25 October 2026 runoff with 51.79% of valid votes, or 64,256,232 votes, against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro. The Superior Electoral Court confirmed the result.

Why is it Lula’s fourth term?

He won in 2002, 2006, 2022 and 2026. The first two terms ran back to back; the third and fourth followed a gap in which Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer and Jair Bolsonaro held the presidency.

Has Flávio Bolsonaro accepted the result?

No. He refused to concede and said he would seek annulment over the two-hour extension of voting. Both campaigns had asked for that extension, and the TSE president said it did not affect the result.

When does the new term begin?

On 5 January 2027. A 2021 constitutional amendment moved the inauguration from 1 January to 5 January, starting with this election. Governors take office on 6 January.

📚 Key Takeaways

The 2026 Brazil Election in Nine Points

Result: Lula 51.79%, Flávio Bolsonaro 48.21% of valid votes.
Votes: 64,256,232 for Lula, the highest total ever for a Brazilian presidential candidate.
Margin: 4,430,191 votes, or 3.58 points.
Comeback: Lula trailed by 1.87 points on 4 October and led by 3.58 on 25 October.
First: the first time since 1989 that a first-round leader lost the runoff.
Extension: voting ran two hours longer after both campaigns asked.
Challenge: Bolsonaro refuses to concede; the court has confirmed the count.
Congress: the Liberal Party is the largest party in both houses.
Next: inauguration on 5 January 2027.

Lula Fourth Term Timeline, Latest First

From the 2026 runoff back to the founding of the Workers’ Party in 1980. Each entry is tagged and ends with why it matters.

5 Jan
2027

Fourth term scheduled to begin Ahead

ScheduledGovernors sworn in 6 JanNew Congress seated 1 Feb

Under Constitutional Amendment 111 of 2021, the president elected in 2026 is sworn in on 5 January 2027, not 1 January; governors take office the next day (TRE-PR). Lula will be 81, and a four-year term runs to January 2031.

Why it matters: The inauguration date is set in law, so a legal challenge does not move it unless a court rules.

26 Oct
2026

Court confirms the count; Bolsonaro refuses to concede 2026 result

26 Oct 2026TSE president Kassio Nunes MarquesAnnulment sought

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) confirmed 64,256,232 votes (51.79%) for Lula and 59,826,041 (48.21%) for Flávio Bolsonaro (TSE; Wikipedia). TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques said the extra voting time did not affect the result (Fox News). Flávio Bolsonaro called the extension “unprecedented,” refused to concede and said he would ask for the election to be annulled; legal experts say the bar for that is high (Fox News; Buenos Aires Times). His Liberal Party president, Valdemar Costa Neto, said the party accepts the TSE-certified tallies (TRT World).

Status: a challenge has been announced. This page could not confirm a filed petition or a court ruling, and the result stands.

Why it matters: A refusal to concede is not a legal finding. Only a court can set a result aside.

25 Oct
2026

Lula wins the runoff 2026 result

25 Oct 202651.79% to 48.21%Turnout 80.78%

Lula won by 4,430,191 votes, 3.58 percentage points (TSE; Agência Brasil). Turnout was 80.78%, up from 78.92% in the first round (Wikipedia). Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered voting extended by two hours nationwide, three minutes before polls were due to close. Both campaigns had asked for it: Lula’s team cited transport problems, Bolsonaro’s cited heavy rain in the south (PBS NewsHour; Fox News).

Why it matters: Lula’s 64,256,232 votes are the most any Brazilian presidential candidate has received.

4 Oct
2026

Flávio Bolsonaro leads the first round Campaign

4 Oct 202647.03% to 45.16%Turnout 78.92%

Flávio Bolsonaro took 47.03% of valid votes to Lula’s 45.16%, a gap of 1.87 points or about 2.2 million votes; neither reached the 50% needed to win outright (TSE; Fox News). Voters also elected a new Congress that leans right: the Liberal Party (PL) became the largest party in both houses (Wikipedia).

Why it matters: No first-round leader had lost a runoff since direct elections resumed in 1989.

8 Jan
2023

Attack on the Three Powers Plaza Campaign

8 Jan 2023BrasíliaOne week after the inauguration

Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro broke into the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court in Brasília, a week after Lula took office (Wikipedia). Security forces cleared the buildings the same day.

Why it matters: The attack set the tone for the next four years of conflict between the presidency and the Bolsonaro camp.

Night-time security camera view of police lines on the road near the Three Powers Plaza in Brasilia on 8 January 2023 — Police lines near the Three Powers Plaza in Brasília on the evening of 8 January 2023. Security-camera frame, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

1 Jan
2023

Third term begins Career

1 Jan 202339th presidentBrasília

Lula was sworn in for a third term, the first president of Brazil’s democracy to win a third term (Latin America Daily Briefing; Brazilian government biography). The Planalto Palace described him as the 39th president of Brazil.

Why it matters: He returned to the office after 12 years out of it.

Lula wearing the presidential sash with arms raised at his inauguration on 1 January 2023 — Lula, wearing the presidential sash, at his inauguration on 1 January 2023. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR, via Palácio do Planalto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped.

30 Oct
2022

Lula beats Jair Bolsonaro Career

30 Oct 202250.90% to 49.10%60,345,999 votes

Lula won the 2022 runoff with 50.90% of valid votes and 60,345,999 votes, the highest total in Brazilian history at that time (Wikipedia; Agência Brasil). Jair Bolsonaro became the first sitting president to lose a re-election bid since the end of military rule (Latin America Daily Briefing).

Why it matters: A margin of 1.8 points in 2022 widened to 3.6 in 2026.

8 Mar–15 Apr
2021

Supreme Court annuls Lula’s convictions Court case

8 Mar 2021Justice Edson FachinPlenary 15 Apr, 8-3

Justice Edson Fachin annulled Lula’s corruption convictions on 8 March 2021 because the federal court in Curitiba lacked jurisdiction over the cases, restoring his political rights. The full court upheld the decision 8-3 on 15 April (Wikipedia: imprisonment of Lula). The ruling did not declare him innocent; it sent the cases to another court.

Why it matters: The ruling made the 2022 and 2026 candidacies legally possible.

7 Apr 2018–
8 Nov 2019

Lula jailed for 580 days Court case

7 Apr 2018CuritibaReleased 8 Nov 2019

Lula surrendered to police in Curitiba on 7 April 2018 to begin a sentence for corruption and money laundering, and was released on 8 November 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that imprisonment before appeals are exhausted is unlawful (Wikipedia). The electoral court barred him from the 2018 election in September that year (Wikipedia).

Why it matters: Jair Bolsonaro won in 2018 while Lula was in prison and ineligible.

1 Jan
2011

Lula leaves office with about 80% approval Career

Dec 2010After two termsSucceeded by Dilma Rousseff

Lula left the presidency with approval of about 80% (Wikipedia) and was succeeded by Dilma Rousseff, who won 55,752,529 votes in 2010 (Agência Brasil).

Why it matters: His successor’s win showed his standing; the 12 years that followed took in her impeachment and Bolsonaro’s presidency.

29 Oct
2006

Re-elected with 58.3 million votes Career

29 Oct 200660.83% in the runoff58,295,042 votes

Lula won a second term in the runoff with 60.83% of valid votes and 58,295,042 votes (Wikipedia; Agência Brasil). He celebrated with supporters outside the Alvorada Palace the next day.

Why it matters: His 2006 total stood as the national record until his own 2022 win.

President Lula and his wife Marisa waving to Workers' Party supporters outside the Alvorada Palace after his re-election, 30 October 2006 — Lula and his wife Marisa wave to Workers’ Party supporters outside the Alvorada Palace after his re-election, 30 October 2006. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 BR.

27 Oct
2002

First presidential victory Career

27 Oct 200261.27%52,793,364 votes

After three failed campaigns, Lula won the 2002 runoff with 61.27% of valid votes and 52,793,364 votes, and took office on 1 January 2003 (Wikipedia; Agência Brasil).

Why it matters: A former metalworker and union leader became president on his fourth attempt.

17 Dec
1989

First presidential run ends in defeat Career

17 Dec 1989Runoff vs Fernando Collor46.97%

In Brazil’s first direct presidential election after military rule, Lula reached the runoff and lost to Fernando Collor de Mello, with 46.97% and 31,075,803 votes (Wikipedia). Collor won with 35,090,206 votes. Lula lost again to Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1994 and 1998 (Agência Brasil).

Why it matters: Three defeats came before his first win in 2002.

10 Feb
1980

Workers’ Party founded Career

10 Feb 1980São PauloDuring military rule

Lula was a founder of the Workers’ Party (PT), launched on 10 February 1980 out of the São Paulo metalworkers’ union movement (Wikipedia).

Why it matters: Every one of his four victories came on the PT ticket.

Lula’s Career at a Glance

Timeline graphic of Lula's career: Workers' Party founded 1980, first run 1989, first win 2002, re-election 2006, jail and annulled convictions 2018 to 2021, return 2022, fourth win 2026 — Lula’s career at a glance, from the Workers’ Party in 1980 to a fourth election win in 2026. Graphic by AiTimeline from the Brazilian government biography, TSE and Agência Brasil.

Brazil’s Presidential Vote Records, 1989–2026

Votes received by the elected president in each election since direct voting resumed.

Line chart of votes for Brazil's elected presidents from 1989 to 2026, rising from 35.1 million for Collor to a record 64.3 million for Lula in 2026 — Chart: votes for each elected Brazilian president since 1989, with Lula’s 64.3 million in 2026 the highest. Chart by AiTimeline from Agência Brasil figures.

Election	Elected president	Votes received
1989	Fernando Collor de Mello	35,090,206
1994	Fernando Henrique Cardoso	34,377,829
1998	Fernando Henrique Cardoso	35,936,916
2002	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	52,793,364
2006	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	58,295,042
2010	Dilma Rousseff	55,752,529
2014	Dilma Rousseff	54,501,118
2018	Jair Bolsonaro	57,797,847
2022	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	60,345,999
2026	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	64,256,232

The 2026 total is the largest in the series, ahead of Lula’s own 60,345,999 in 2022 (Agência Brasil). Totals are votes, not shares: the electorate and turnout have grown, so a higher total does not by itself mean a larger share of support. Lula’s four wins, by runoff share:

Election	Opponent	Runoff share of valid votes	Votes
2002	José Serra	61.27%	52,793,364
2006	Geraldo Alckmin	60.83%	58,295,042
2022	Jair Bolsonaro	50.90%	60,345,999
2026	Flávio Bolsonaro	51.79%	64,256,232

How Brazil’s Presidential Election Works

1. First round. Voters choose one candidate. A candidate who wins more than 50% of valid votes is elected outright.

2. Runoff. If nobody does, the top two meet in a runoff three weeks later: 4 October and 25 October in 2026.

3. Certification. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) counts the votes, certifies the result and rules on disputes.

4. Inauguration. The winner is sworn in on 5 January under the 2021 amendment (TRE-PR). The Chamber of Deputies and Senate are seated on 1 February.

The New Congress Leans Right

Voters elected Congress on 4 October, the same day as the first round.

Chamber of Deputies (513 seats)	Seats	Change
Liberal Party (PL)	121	+22
FE Brasil (federation including the PT)	88	+7
UPB	87	−19
PSD	43	+1
Republicanos	41	+1
MDB	36	−6

The Liberal Party became the largest party in the 513-seat Chamber with 121 seats, up 22, and the largest bloc in the Senate, with 29 of 81 seats on Wikipedia’s tally (Wikipedia). Analysts describe the incoming majority as among the most conservative in Brazilian history (Fox News). Lula will need to negotiate budgets and laws with a Congress in which his own side is not the largest.

What the Record Shows About the Result

These are documented facts, not a full explanation of why Brazilians voted as they did.

Higher turnout. Turnout rose from 78.92% to 80.78% between rounds, bringing roughly three million more voters to the polls (Rio Times).

A US-facing campaign. Brazil faces tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, and Lula argued that a Bolsonaro presidency would let the United States control Brazil (PBS NewsHour).

Split tickets. The same electorate gave the right its biggest legislative result in years, so the presidential result was not a sweep for the left.

What Happens Next?

1. The challenge. Flávio Bolsonaro says he will seek annulment. Legal experts say the bar is high, the TSE president says the extension did not affect the result, and the Liberal Party says it accepts the certified tallies (Fox News; TRT World).

2. Congress. A conservative-leaning Congress will be seated on 1 February 2027, a month after the inauguration.

3. Inauguration. Lula is due to be sworn in on 5 January 2027, aged 81.

4. Relations with Washington. The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration remain a live issue (PBS NewsHour).

The Main Players

President-elect, Workers’ Party

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Born 27 October 1945; president 2003-2010 and from 2023. Won the 2026 runoff and is due to be sworn in for a fourth term on 5 January 2027.

Liberal Party candidate

Flávio Bolsonaro

Senator and son of Jair Bolsonaro. Led the first round on 4 October with 47.03% and lost the runoff; has refused to concede.

Former president

Jair Bolsonaro

President 2019-2022; lost to Lula in the 2022 runoff, 50.90% to 49.10%.

Supreme Court justice

Cristiano Zanin

Ordered voting on 25 October extended by two hours; Bolsonaro allies note he was formerly Lula’s lawyer.

Electoral court president

Kassio Nunes Marques

Head of the TSE, which confirmed the result and said the extension did not affect it.

Liberal Party president

Valdemar Costa Neto

Said the party accepts the TSE-certified tallies while seeking answers on pre-election social spending.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did Lula win Brazil’s 2026 presidential election?

Yes. He won the 25 October 2026 runoff with 51.79% of valid votes, or 64,256,232 votes, against 48.21% and 59,826,041 for Flavio Bolsonaro, according to the Superior Electoral Court.

How many votes did Lula get in 2026?

64,256,232 votes in the runoff, the most any Brazilian presidential candidate has received. His previous record was 60,345,999 in 2022, according to Agencia Brasil.

What was the margin of victory?

4,430,191 votes, or 3.58 percentage points. In the first round on 4 October Lula had trailed Flavio Bolsonaro by 1.87 points, 45.16% to 47.03%.

Why is it called Lula’s fourth term?

He won the presidency in 2002, 2006, 2022 and 2026. The first two terms were consecutive; the third and fourth were separated by the presidencies of Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer and Jair Bolsonaro.

When does Lula’s fourth term start?

On 5 January 2027. Constitutional Amendment 111 of 2021 moved the inauguration from 1 January to 5 January, starting with the 2026 election. Governors take office on 6 January.

Did Lula win the first round?

No. Flavio Bolsonaro led on 4 October 2026 with 47.03% of valid votes to Lula’s 45.16%. Neither reached 50%, so they met in the 25 October runoff.

Is Lula’s comeback a first in Brazil?

It is the first time since direct presidential elections resumed in 1989 that the first-round leader lost the runoff. Lula finished second in the first round and won; AP calls it a first since the end of military rule.

Why were voting hours extended on 25 October?

Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting by two hours nationwide, three minutes before polls were due to close. Both campaigns had asked: Lula’s cited transport problems, Bolsonaro’s cited heavy rain.

Has Flavio Bolsonaro conceded?

No. He called the extension unprecedented, refused to concede and said he would seek annulment. The electoral court president said the extension did not affect the result, and the Liberal Party said it accepts the certified tallies.

Can the result be annulled?

Only a court can do that, and legal experts say the bar is high. This page could not confirm a filed petition or a ruling. The TSE has declared Lula the winner.

What was the turnout in the runoff?

About 80.78%, with abstention near 19.2%, up from 78.92% turnout in the first round, according to Wikipedia’s tally of official figures.

Who is Flavio Bolsonaro?

A senator and Liberal Party candidate, and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He led the first round on 4 October 2026 and lost the runoff.

How many times has Lula run for president?

Seven times: 1989, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2022 and 2026. He lost the first three and won the last four. In 2018 he was jailed and barred from running.

Was Lula in prison?

Yes. He was jailed in Curitiba for 580 days, from 7 April 2018 to 8 November 2019, on corruption and money-laundering convictions that the Supreme Court later annulled on jurisdictional grounds.

Did the Supreme Court clear Lula of corruption?

Not exactly. On 8 March 2021 Justice Edson Fachin annulled the convictions because the Curitiba court lacked jurisdiction, and the full court upheld that 8-3 on 15 April. The ruling did not declare him innocent.

What did Lula win in 2022?

He beat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the runoff with 50.90% of valid votes and 60,345,999 votes, then took office on 1 January 2023 for a third term.

What happened on 8 January 2023?

Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro broke into the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court in Brasilia a week after Lula’s inauguration. Security forces cleared the buildings the same day.

Does Lula have a majority in Congress?

No. The Liberal Party is the largest party in both houses, with 121 of 513 deputies, according to Wikipedia. Analysts describe the incoming Congress as among the most conservative in Brazilian history.

How old is Lula?

Lula was born on 27 October 1945, according to Wikipedia, which notes his birth was registered as 6 October. He will be 81 at his inauguration on 5 January 2027.

What does the Brazilian election system look like?

The president is elected directly by popular vote. A candidate needs more than 50% of valid votes in the first round; otherwise the top two meet in a runoff three weeks later.

What are valid votes?

Valid votes are votes for candidates. Blank and spoiled ballots are not counted, so the 51.79% share is of valid votes, not of all ballots cast.

How does the 2026 total compare with past winners?

It is the highest of any elected president since 1989, ahead of Lula’s own 60,345,999 in 2022 and Jair Bolsonaro’s 57,797,847 in 2018, according to Agencia Brasil.

Will this page be updated?

Yes. It will be updated when the electoral court rules on any challenge and after the 5 January 2027 inauguration.

A Result That Settles the Count, Not the Argument

Lula’s win is a record in votes and a comeback in shape: behind by 1.87 points on 4 October, ahead by 3.58 on 25 October. The electoral court has confirmed it. What it has not settled is the argument that follows: a refusal to concede, a conservative Congress and a divided electorate that gave Lula the presidency and the right the legislature. This page will be updated when the challenge is decided and after the 5 January 2027 inauguration.

Sources & further reading

Every dated entry above was checked against these references. Last reviewed 27 October 2026.