BRASÍLIA, BRAZIL — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term as Brazil's president Sunday, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff that capped one of the most dramatic comebacks in the country's democratic history.

Brazil's electoral authority, the TSE, put Lula's final tally at roughly 51.76% of valid votes to Flávio's 48.24%, according to CBS News, a margin of roughly 4.3 million ballots. Outlets reported the final split with minor variation, ranging from 51.74% to 51.78%.

Trailing, then triumphant

What makes the result remarkable is the arc that preceded it. In the first round on October 4, Flávio — the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro — led the field with about 47% of the vote to Lula's 45%, according to PBS NewsHour. Lula's runoff victory makes him the first candidate to overcome a first-round deficit and still win Brazil's presidency since military rule ended in 1985.

The vote also played out against a legal flashpoint. A Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered a last-minute, two-hour nationwide extension of voting hours, a decision Al Jazeera's live coverage noted could prompt a legal challenge from the Bolsonaro camp.

FIRST RUNNER-UP TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY SINCE BRAZIL'S MILITARY DICTATORSHIP ENDED IN 1985

A family name, a different candidate

Flávio Bolsonaro, a sitting senator, ran in his father's stead after Jair Bolsonaro's legal troubles sidelined him from this cycle's ballot, drawing on his father's base while trying to broaden it. His near-win from a standing start — he had never before run for national executive office — signals the movement's appeal survived its founder's absence from the race, even as it came up short.

For Lula, 80, the victory extends a political career that began as a metalworker-turned-union leader in the 1970s and has now spanned four presidential terms across five decades, including a 580-day imprisonment on corruption charges that were later annulled. His comeback from a first-round deficit suggests late-breaking undecided voters broke decisively his way in the campaign's final weeks, a dynamic several Brazilian outlets, including The Rio Times, had flagged as the race tightened into the weekend.

What's next

Lula is expected to be sworn in for his fourth term on January 1, setting up a government that will have to work with a Congress where Bolsonaro-aligned parties remain a significant bloc. Markets and regional allies, including Washington, are watching closely for signals on economic policy and Brazil's posture toward the U.S. and China heading into the new term.