Lula da Silva won Brazil’s 2026 presidential election despite finishing behind in the first round. No candidate had previously achieved this since Brazil introduced its two-round system in 1989. Celebrating his fourth presidential election victory, he promised to deliver the country’s best presidential term.
Lula turns 81 on October 27, 2026. Before entering politics, he was a metalworker and a union leader who represented workers. He led strikes between 1978 and 1980, helping prepare the way for the Workers’ Party’s creation in 1980.
After losing three presidential elections, Lula won in 2002 and served two terms. Supporters credit his government’s social programs with reducing poverty and making Brazil more equal. These measures included support for families and a program aimed at ending hunger.
His political career was interrupted when he went to prison in 2018. He was released in 2019, and Brazil’s Supreme Court overturned his convictions in 2021 because the court that tried him lacked the legal authority to handle his case. That decision allowed him to run again, and he won the presidency in 2022.
His latest victory comes in a deeply divided country. Center-right politicians dominate Congress, while the movement associated with former President Jair Bolsonaro retains considerable electoral strength.
