Politics

Lula Wins Brazil Election 2026: Results, Timeline & History

Lula won Brazil's 25 October 2026 runoff with 51.79% of valid votes, 64,256,232 to Flavio Bolsonaro's 59,826,041. Bolsonaro led the first round but has refused…

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Runoff

Lula wins the runoff

Lula took 64,256,232 votes to Flavio Bolsonaro's 59,826,041, a margin of 3.58 points, and the most votes any Brazilian candidate has received.

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First round

Bolsonaro led the first round

No. Flavio Bolsonaro led by 1.87 points but neither candidate reached 50%, so they met in a runoff three weeks later.

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Challenge

Bolsonaro refuses to concede

Flavio Bolsonaro says he will seek annulment over the two-hour voting extension. Both campaigns had asked for it, and the court says it did not affect the result.

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Inauguration

Fourth term due to begin

Lula is due to be sworn in on 5 January 2027, after a 2021 amendment moved the date from 1 January. A right-leaning Congress is seated on 1 February.

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Return

Lula beats Jair Bolsonaro

Lula won the 2022 runoff with 60,345,999 votes and took office on 1 January 2023 for a third term.

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Courts

Jailed, then convictions annulled

He was jailed in Curitiba from April 2018 to November 2019. In 2021 the Supreme Court annulled the convictions on jurisdictional grounds.

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Wins

Two terms, 58.3 million votes

Lula won the 2002 runoff with 61.27% and re-election in 2006 with 60.83% and 58,295,042 votes.

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First run

Loses to Fernando Collor

In Brazil's first direct election after military rule Lula reached the runoff and lost. He lost again in 1994 and 1998 before winning in 2002.

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