US Democrats credit Brazil's Lula victory after defeating Trump-backed candidate

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election on October 25, winning a fourth term with 51.78 percent of valid votes against 48.22 percent for his opponent, according to the Senate Agency. Ten days later, American voters delivered a historic defeat to the far-right in the November 3 legislative elections, with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Brazilian lawmakers, activists, researchers, and political scientists began citing the Brazilian result as a reference for mobilizing against Donald Trump and big tech companies. Democratic politicians expressed gratitude to Brazil on social media, saying the victory had been incorporated into the discourse of sectors defending against the advance of fascism.

“Thank you, Brazil, for showing us the way.”

Isaiah Martin, a young Democratic politician from Texas who ran for the House of Representatives in Houston's 18th congressional district, published one of the most visible messages. A former member of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's team, Martin gained social media attention through criticism of Trump and proposals to expand health care access, raise wages, and strengthen public services.

Martin wrote on social media: "Thank you, Brazil, for showing us the way." Minutes later, he added: "Deport the Bolsonaros!" His posts joined a broader wave of reactions from Democratic voters and influencers celebrating the result.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez linked Lula's victory to Trump's defeat in a post on X on November 4. Addressing right-wing leaders Alberto Nunez Feijoo and Santiago Abascal, Sánchez said the same outcome would soon happen in Spain, which goes to the polls on November 29. He described the ultra wave as crumbling rather than growing.

Harvard political scientist Pippa Norris also included Brazil in a sequence of countries showing signs of democratic resilience, alongside Serbia, Israel, and the United States. She noted that ordinary voters defend democracy and that elections matter, protected by the courts.