He took the victory stage alongside his third wife, Rosângela “Janja” Lula da Silva, whom he has been married to since 2022. He celebrated victory over Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff election after Bolsonaro failed to win an outright majority in the first round.

Lula, who has become the leader of the left movement in Brazil, surpassed his far-right challenger by about 4 million votes: 51.79% to 48.21%. Bolsonaro has still refused to concede. He contests the Supreme Court’s decision to extend polling hours by two hours—a measure that was previously requested by both candidates. The president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, and the the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta—both from center-right parties—congratulated Lula and declared the election valid.

“This election was a defeat for denialism, a defeat for lies,” Lula said in his victory speech, thanking “the Brazilian people for this generosity they have shown me for so long…the youth who took to the streets to defend democracy, and the elders who went to vote.” Lula looked to the youth during the campaign while denouncing foreign interference—whether from digital platforms or directly from Donald Trump: “This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard.” He assured the nation that he will collaborate with parliament, where the right wing has a strong presence. He has already done so over the past four years, making compromises on his progressive policies.

ELDER STATESMAN At 81, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, best known simply as “Lula,” is the first president in Brazil’s history to be elected to a fourth term.Rodrigo Paiva/Getty Images