Lula Wins Brazil’s 2026 Election in Runoff Comeback; Bolsonaro Rejects Result

SAO PAULO — October 26, 2026. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth, non-consecutive term after overturning a first-round deficit against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s October 25 runoff. The result, confirmed by Brazil’s electoral authorities and reported by Reuters and Associated Press, is a major reversal in a polarized contest. Bolsonaro has rejected the result and called for it to be annulled.

By Tectonics Media Publications News Desk. Election-night report, October 26, 2026. Vote percentages below are attributed to the reporting source and counting stage; certification and any legal challenges should be followed through the electoral authority.

What the count shows

With 99.99% of ballot boxes counted, The Guardian’s October 26 election report recorded Lula at 51.79% of valid votes (64,255,891) and Bolsonaro at 48.21% (59,825,984). AP separately reported Lula’s victory at approximately 51.8% and a margin of nearly 4.4 million votes. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) results portal is the authoritative place to check subsequent updates and final official totals.

The reversal is striking because Bolsonaro led the October 4 first round. The TSE’s first-round announcement recorded 47.03% for Bolsonaro and 45.16% for Lula. The runoff therefore did more than narrow the gap: it reversed the ranking of the two finalists.

Why the result is contested

Bolsonaro has refused to concede and criticized a last-minute extension of voting hours after transportation problems and severe weather disrupted polling, according to AP and Reuters. The distinction matters: the court-reported election result is not the same as acceptance of that result by a losing candidate. Claims about irregularities require substantiation, and any formal challenge would have to be assessed through the relevant legal process. There is no basis here to assert that the result has been overturned.

What Lula’s fourth term could mean

Lula’s comeback gives his Workers’ Party another term in the presidency but does not give him automatic control of Congress. Reuters describes a conservative legislature and economic constraints, including high borrowing costs and debt pressures, that may complicate new social spending or labor reforms. For investors, the near-term questions are fiscal policy, the central bank’s room to manage inflation, and whether the government can assemble majorities for its proposals.

Foreign policy is another point of difference. Lula has emphasized social inclusion, climate policy and Brazil’s autonomy in international relations; Bolsonaro’s campaign drew support from voters favoring a more conservative domestic agenda and closer alignment with parts of the international right. These are political priorities, not settled forecasts of what the next government will achieve.

Watch: Lula celebrates the October 25 election result

Watch R7’s October 25 report and video of Lula celebrating with allies in São Paulo. R7 identifies the footage as a celebration after the runoff result. We link to the broadcaster’s original page rather than embedding or rehosting the clip because independent iframe permission and regional playback were not established. The video documents the reaction, not the vote count itself.

Update — October 26, 2026, 05:00 CET: Full count and international reaction

With 100% of votes counted, the Brazilian electoral court reported a decisive lead for Lula, according to CBS News’ October 26 report. The broadcaster put Lula at about 51.8% and described a margin of nearly 4.4 million votes. The 99.99%-counted figures above remain labeled as an earlier counting stage; a completed tally is not the same as formal certification or resolution of a legal challenge.

Reuters reported on October 26 that leaders in Canada and across Latin America had congratulated Lula and emphasized cooperation. Their reactions signal diplomatic recognition of the reported result, not a court ruling on Bolsonaro’s objections. Reuters separately reported that Bolsonaro said he would seek annulment over extended polling hours; that statement does not establish that a formal petition has been filed or that the election result has been overturned. See the electoral court’s official results access page for subsequent documentation.

What happens next

Watch for the TSE’s finalized tally and formal election documentation, any filed challenges and their outcomes, and the incoming administration’s economic and legislative agenda. This report will be updated when a material development is verified. For another election-night development, see our report on Serbia’s October 25 parliamentary election.

Photo: Archival official portrait of Lula, photographed in February 2023 by Ricardo Stuckert/Presidência da República (Palácio do Planalto). Via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. The displayed 960-pixel version derives from a cropped archival image; it does not depict the October 2026 election. No endorsement is implied.

Sources: TSE election results; Reuters, October 25–26; AP, October 25–26; The Guardian, October 26.

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