Brazil election: Lula da Silva wins presidency as nation swings left — will Bolsonaro accept the results?

Securing the northeast, former President Lula da Silva won a narrow victory over incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential elections.

It was also going to be difficult for Bolsonaro in the second round, as Lula won the first round by 5 points, 48% to 43%, nearly winning outright on October 2. Bolsonaro also faced an uhpill battle in the sense that both third place Simone Tebet and fourth place Ciro Gomes backed Lula in the second round. David Unsworth reports on Latin America. You can follow David Unsworth on Twitter @LatinAmerUpdate

Bolsonaro turned in a strong showing in the wealthier south of the country, winning Sao Paulo and his native Rio de Janeiro by margins of over 10%, but it was not enough to compensate for Lula’s massive turnout in the Northeast of Brazil, where the Workers Party has long enjoyed dominance. Indeed, Lula won numerous states by margins of 30%, 40% or even 50%, turning in particularly strong performances in the vote-rich states of Bahia, Ceara, and his native Pernambuco.

Bolsonaro flipped the pivotal swing state of Minas Gerais, winning by a narrow margin, and backed by the endorsement of Governor Romeu Zema, but it was not enough to reach 50%.