Bolsonaro's Party Accepts Lula's Win, But Candidate Stops Short of Conceding

Brazil's Liberal Party, which backs Flávio Bolsonaro, said Monday that it accepts the results of the presidential election held two days earlier. Party president Valdemar Costa Neto issued a statement saying the party recognizes the outcome but believes "questions raised about the vote" still need to be clarified. Bolsonaro, the party's candidate, has not conceded.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won just over 51% of valid votes, taking about 64.2 million ballots. Bolsonaro took more than 48%, or nearly 59.8 million votes. The result followed Lula's defeat in the first round of voting.

On Monday, President Trump spoke about the election. "I didn't take sides, but it looked like another rigged election," he told reporters. Trump provided no evidence to support that claim.

Bolsonaro first said he would seek to annul the results, pointing to alleged irregularities. One item he cited was the Supreme Court's decision on Sunday to keep polling stations open two extra hours, until 7 p.m. Lula's campaign requested the extension, citing problems with public transportation. Bolsonaro's campaign also asked for more time, citing heavy rain in southern Brazil.

In a video posted Monday, Bolsonaro said he would instead work to have Lula's victory disqualified, citing what he described as abuses of political and economic power. "The law must apply to everyone," he said. "The competition must be fair and equal, which did not happen." He did not present evidence for the claim.

Bolsonaro also said he was ordered by Federal Police to surrender his passports. He had visited his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, in Brasília. The elder Bolsonaro is under house arrest after receiving a 27-year sentence for his role in the 2022 coup attempt against Lula. The passport order came from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as part of a separate investigation, Bolsonaro said.

Lula gained more than 10 million additional votes from the first round. Thiago Vidal, an analyst with Prospectiva consultants, described the result as a nationwide win. "No wonder pollsters said a Lula victory was almost impossible," Vidal said. He added that the Liberal Party made gains in Congress.

In São Paulo, Lula spoke about his supporters. "I wanted to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for a long time," he said. "And in this second round, I want to thank the Brazilian youth for their generosity in taking to the streets. They took to the streets to defend democracy in the country."

André Janones, a congressman from Minas Gerais, helped run Lula's online campaign. He used Instagram and WhatsApp to reach younger voters. His WhatsApp channel, called "Lula's Army," drew more than 10 million followers.