Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term as Brazil's president, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff on Sunday, October 25.

According to the final count by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, Lula won 51.76% of valid votes against 48.24% for Bolsonaro, a margin of about 4.3 million out of roughly 123.8 million ballots. Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, led for much of the evening until about 70% of polling sections had been counted. In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro had finished ahead with 47.03% to Lula's 45.16%.

"This country needs peace and unity," Lula told supporters in São Paulo. At 80, he becomes the oldest person elected head of state in Brazil's history. He is due to be sworn in on January 1, 2027.

Investigation ordered

After the vote, Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ordered a police investigation into possible illegal foreign assistance to Bolsonaro's campaign, including contacts with a US donor group. The group denies involvement, and Dino stressed that no wrongdoing has been established.