Overview
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidential runoff with about 51.8% to 48.2% of valid votes in the election decided on October 25, overturning a first-round deficit to defeat Flávio Bolsonaro.
- The PT mounted an intensive digital push between rounds centered on a WhatsApp network called the 'Ejército de Lula' that reportedly mobilized millions and helped reduce abstention.
- The victory margin was slim and marked the first time since 1989 that a second-place first-round candidate won the runoff, underscoring the race’s fragility and polarization.
- Institutional constraints are immediate: the PT won only four of 25 governorships and bolsonarist-aligned parties hold a solid congressional majority, limiting Lula’s ability to pass laws or pursue big new spending.
- The campaign’s WhatsApp playbook is already being copied by parts of the Spanish left and analysts warn the model points to a wider shift in how turnout and disinformation influence close elections.