New York : Brazil's incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a historic fourth term as president on Sunday, defeating his opponent Flavio Bolsonaro.
According to Brazilian Media and projections by Datafolha, with 99.77% of the votes counted, the incumbent president had 51.76% of the valid votes in the second round of the election, compared to 48.24% for Bolsonaro.
The victory makes the Workers' Party member extend his record as the second longest-serving holder of the office, behind Getulio Vargas.
Lula, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, will be in power for 16 years, a record in Brazil's democratic history.
The victory follows a campaign dominated by concerns over the cost of living, crime and corruption.
CNN reported that it is also the first time since the return of direct presidential elections in 1989 that a candidate has won the presidency after finishing second in the first round.
Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs.
Both Presidential candidates had been hit by corruption allegations involving family members and allies. Lula had spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.
The results of Sunday's run-off came after a heated election day, with voting being extended by two hours following last-minute pleas from both candidates to electoral authorities.
