Brazil's far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro loses tight election to leftist 2-time former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after contentious campaigning

• Brazil elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president following Jair Bolsonaro's rocky presidency.
• Lula's victory marks his third win as president, despite serving time in jail for corruption, per NYT.

Voters in Brazil re-elected leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president, following a rocky and controversial presidency from far-right Jair Bolsonaro.

In a remarkably close race, da Silva, also known as"Lula," received 50.83% of the votes, compared to Bolsonaro's 49.17%, according to CNN.

During an October 2 election, neither candidate received a majority of votes, prompting the run-off election on Sunday, CNN explained.

Throughout the turbulent campaign season, Bolsonaro argued that Lula was a communist and a satanist, while Lula argued that his opponent was a cannibal, according to The Washington Post.

Lula's victory marks his third win as president of Brazil, even after having spent over a year in jail for corruption and money laundering charges, according to The New York Times. He'd claimed the charges were false and likened himself to changemakers such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Bolsonaro, dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics," will leave behind a legacy of homophobia, sexism, and a lack of environmental stewardship. During his presidency, Bolsonaro encouraged clear-cutting and burning in the Amazon. His administration also cut funding for an agency that enforces environmental laws in the world's largest rainforest.

Throughout his campaign, Lula promised to crack down on illegal deforestation and rebuild the country's environmental protection agency.

Lula's election follows a trend in Latin America of voters electing left-leaning leaders.

Thomas Traumann, a political analyst, told The Hill that the election in Brazil is similar to America's 2020 election, in which President Joe Biden's victory and former President Donald Trump's loss exacerbated a political divide.

"The huge challenge that Lula has will be to pacify the country," Traumann said. "People are not only polarized on political matters, but also have different values, identity, and opinions. What's more, they don't care what the other side's values, identities, and opinions are."

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.