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The Brazilian elections of 2022 were characterized by strong political polarization at the national level. The presidential race was structured around two candidacies: on the right, the then-president running for reelection, Jair Bolsonaro from the Liberal Party (PL), and on the left , the former president in office from 2003 and 2010, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from the Workers’ Party (PT). This article aims to analyze the 2022 Brazilian elections in light of Bolsonaro’s and Lula’s strategies during the presidential campaign. Contrary to the influential claim of the economic voting account, voters’ short-term retrospective assessment did not determine the 2022 election results. We argue that the candidacy of Lula, the most popular former president in Brazil’s history, introduced a distinct dynamic into the electoral race, challenging the incumbent with the legacy of his governments (2003-2010). In this case, Lula’s win was related to his ability to reactivate voters’ memories of his government, particularly evoking the significant improvements in social welfare achieved during that period.