Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term in the October 25, 2026, presidential election. He received 51.8% of valid votes, compared with 48.2% for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. The difference was roughly 4.4 million votes.
Thousands of supporters celebrated on São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue, waving Brazilian flags, singing and dancing. Celebrations continued into Monday, with similar scenes in other cities across the country.
Bolsonaro refused to accept the outcome and said he would challenge it in court. His complaint concerns a Supreme Court decision that extended voting by two hours. Lula’s victory followed a first round in which Bolsonaro had finished ahead.
Environmental groups welcomed the result after a sharp decline in deforestation, or forest clearing, under Lula. Since he returned to office in 2023, clearing in the Brazilian Amazon has reached its lowest level since monitoring began in 1988. It dropped 42% in the last year alone, although the rainforest continues to shrink.
Lula nevertheless faces obstacles in Congress, where Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party won the most seats in both chambers. These are the two bodies that consider and approve laws. The party’s stronger position could make it harder for Lula to pass legislation, including measures connected to his environmental goals.
