Lula’s Incredible Comeback Shows How Democrats Can Win in 2028
*Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil celebrates after the results of the general election day on Oct. 25, 2026 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.*
When Brazil’s [first round results][1] came out, the Brazilian left went into a panic. Pollsters undercounted far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro’s tally, who ended up first with 47% of the vote. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, a veritable legend of the Latin American left, fell to second place, with 45%, a difference of over 2 million votes. Sentiment around Brazil’s left electorate was negative and defeatist. It seemed quite impossible to turn around such a solid Bolsonaro advantage.
But just when morale was at its lowest, Lula reshuffled his campaign team, incorporating the 41-year-old Governor of Piauí State, Rafael Fonteles. Lula, now in his 80s, had never been much for social media, seeing it as a U.S.-backed fake news industry that could never replace face-to-face contact with his voters. Fonteles’ [greatest achievement][2] was convincing Lula he could do both: an aggressive social media campaign, while travelling the country.
[Subscribe now][3]
Thus, Lula’s revamped campaign launched two days later, with the octogenarian’s first-ever [selfie video][4]. This new approach was new ground for Lula. According to insiders, Lula has historically preferred a more sober tone and highly produced aesthetic focused on reporting his achievements to the public. The strategy was simply no longer working with newer generations that sought a personal connection and a vision for the future. Fonteles’ new aesthetic was bare-bones – the man himself, holding his own phone, with no tie, just talking to people not about legacy, but things that matter today: ending Brazil’s [44-hour work-week][5], free buses on weekends, and protecting social programmes from Bolsonaro’s Milei-inspired austerity plans. It was a style that worked for Lula and a message that resonated with Brazil. You could say Fonteles learned the right lessons from Zohran Mamdani’s success: not that flashy fonts and engaging videos win elections; but that his job was to make the
voter pay attention to the message, whatever that meant. And oh did he!
[ Read more ][6]
[1]: https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/flavio-bolsonaro-after-the-first-round-against-lula-brazil-wants-change/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX09XTFRBQzdGVzFLVFBaS0lWU0o3QTQxWFFCNTZVNVQ
[2]: https://valorinternational.globo.com/politics/news/2026/10/19/new-advisers-give-lulas-reelection-campaign-fresh-momentum.ghtml
[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeMf9IPt4_j/?mdxt=bHMxMjByOW5sbnln
[5]: https://apnews.com/article/brazil-workweek-lula-flavio-bolsonaro-senate-b851c95d90ff5ad3675e4ec343bd12fe
[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/lulas-incredible-comeback-shows-how
https://zeteo.com/p/lulas-incredible-comeback-shows-how
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2026-10-26 16:14:33 UTC
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2026-10-26 16:14:33 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "Lula’s Incredible Comeback Shows How Democrats Can Win in 2028\n\n*Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil celebrates after the results of the general election day on Oct. 25, 2026 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.*\n\nWhen Brazil’s [first round results][1] came out, the Brazilian left went into a panic. Pollsters undercounted far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro’s tally, who ended up first with 47% of the vote. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, a veritable legend of the Latin American left, fell to second place, with 45%, a difference of over 2 million votes. Sentiment around Brazil’s left electorate was negative and defeatist. It seemed quite impossible to turn around such a solid Bolsonaro advantage.\n\nBut just when morale was at its lowest, Lula reshuffled his campaign team, incorporating the 41-year-old Governor of Piauí State, Rafael Fonteles. Lula, now in his 80s, had never been much for social media, seeing it as a U.S.-backed fake news industry that could never replace face-to-face contact with his voters. Fonteles’ [greatest achievement][2] was convincing Lula he could do both: an aggressive social media campaign, while travelling the country.\n\n[Subscribe now][3]\n\nThus, Lula’s revamped campaign launched two days later, with the octogenarian’s first-ever [selfie video][4]. This new approach was new ground for Lula. According to insiders, Lula has historically preferred a more sober tone and highly produced aesthetic focused on reporting his achievements to the public. The strategy was simply no longer working with newer generations that sought a personal connection and a vision for the future. Fonteles’ new aesthetic was bare-bones – the man himself, holding his own phone, with no tie, just talking to people not about legacy, but things that matter today: ending Brazil’s [44-hour work-week][5], free buses on weekends, and protecting social programmes from Bolsonaro’s Milei-inspired austerity plans. It was a style that worked for Lula and a message that resonated with Brazil. You could say Fonteles learned the right lessons from Zohran Mamdani’s success: not that flashy fonts and engaging videos win elections; but that his job was to make the\nvoter pay attention to the message, whatever that meant. And oh did he!\n\n[ Read more ][6]\n\n[1]: https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/flavio-bolsonaro-after-the-first-round-against-lula-brazil-wants-change/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX09XTFRBQzdGVzFLVFBaS0lWU0o3QTQxWFFCNTZVNVQ\n[2]: https://valorinternational.globo.com/politics/news/2026/10/19/new-advisers-give-lulas-reelection-campaign-fresh-momentum.ghtml\n[3]: https://zeteo.com/subscribe?\n[4]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeMf9IPt4_j/?mdxt=bHMxMjByOW5sbnln\n[5]: https://apnews.com/article/brazil-workweek-lula-flavio-bolsonaro-senate-b851c95d90ff5ad3675e4ec343bd12fe\n[6]: https://zeteo.com/p/lulas-incredible-comeback-shows-how\n\n\nhttps://zeteo.com/p/lulas-incredible-comeback-shows-how",
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