Brazil has completed its presidential runoff election, with incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva winning a new term, according to reports from regional outlets. The result was described as a surprise comeback, with Lula reportedly trailing earlier in the race before pulling ahead to secure victory, the first time a Brazilian presidential runoff has swung that way.
Lula and his opponent in the race, Jair Bolsonaro, have faced each other at the ballot box before, in Brazil's tightly contested 2022 election, which Lula also won. Brazil holds presidential elections every four years, with a runoff between the top two finishers when no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting. This year's contest, like 2022's, went the distance to that second round, held on the last Sunday of October.
Brazil is one of the largest economies in Latin America and one of the most significant destinations for overseas investment in the region, and the outcome of close elections there is closely watched well beyond its borders. Reports noted that the result keeps Brazil aligned with China, which has become one of the country's largest trading partners and investors in recent years, a relationship that has deepened under Lula's government.
According to reports, Bolsonaro's side did not accept the official outcome of the vote. The specifics of any formal challenge were not immediately clear, and further details are expected as Brazilian electoral authorities proceed with certifying the result in the days ahead. Brazil's electoral system, run through its Superior Electoral Court, has historically processed results and any disputes through formal legal channels.
Watch for the formal certification of the results by Brazil's electoral court, and for any official response or legal challenge from Bolsonaro's campaign in the coming days.
Why does Brazil hold a runoff election?
Brazilian law requires a runoff between the top two finishers if no candidate wins an outright majority in the first round of voting.
Have Lula and Bolsonaro run against each other before?
Yes, the two faced off in Brazil's 2022 presidential election as well.