PHOTO ESSAY: A Texas Trump voter, struggling with cancer and medical bills, breaks party ranks

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Nov. 3 election is fast approaching at a moment when some Republican voters, frustrated by ever-rising prices, could turn on their party.

Cindy Banda, a Texan and three-time supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of them.

For Banda, 46, her political shift began after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

For more than a year, through a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the single mother with six children in her care had to stop working even as her medical debt rose beyond $25,000.

The experience forced her into a grueling day-to-day financial scramble.

Her goal? “Keep the house. Keep the cars. And just keep the kids stable."

To do that costs roughly $7,000 a month, exacerbated the rising tide of other costs, chief among them gas and groceries.

Banda tries not to dwell on death and debt because, she says, “it'll consume you."

She smothers those thoughts beneath her bubbly demeanor and avoids being alone. But that truce, between her insistence on positivity and the fears that it covers, is brittle.

Certain thoughts still arrive uninvited. Banda’s late sister, Melissa, didn't have life insurance when she was killed. Banda, who cares for Melissa's three children in addition to three of her own, makes sure it’s a payment she never misses.

“Sometimes I think, and I shouldn’t think like this, but I’m worth more gone than here,” she said one day, her eyes red and welling beneath her blue eyeliner.

“Obviously, the goal is not that, the goal is to beat it,” she continued, “to keep the house and keep the cars.”

And so far she has, the generosity of others helping keep her just beyond the reach of each month’s tide of bills.

That's included financial help from the father of her 9-year-old, as well as Banda's own father. Her high school classmates fundraised by selling food from a roadside tent. Two GoFundMe fundraisers raised near $30,000.

Still, the months of uncertainty took their own sleepless toll, and she recently returned to work selling internet services to businesses door to door, just before the midterms.

A lifelong Christian, Banda had voted her anti-abortion stance in past elections.

She voted for Trump in each of his campaigns, but two years into his second term, she has found no respite from high prices.

So when James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, visited one of Banda’s fundraisers — speaking about his diabetes and his work in the Statehouse to lower the price of insulin — it moved her.

Talarico supports a law guaranteeing abortion access nationwide, which Banda has voted against for years. But after she slid into debt to stay alive, Banda’s anti-abortion concerns have been superseded by costs.

“Because it’s what I’m living,” she said. “I’m living it.”

Banda cast an early ballot for Talarico.

“Never voted Democrat before today!!” she wrote in a text with blue heart emoji.

Cindy Banda, who is battling cancer, visits the tomb of her sister, Melissa Banda, at Funeraria del Angel Highland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Sept. 15, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Richard "Trey" Ford III, left and his sister, Kimberly, seated at right, gather at the tomb of their mother, Melissa Banda, with fellow family members, Victoria, from seated left, Alejandra and Aaliyah Banda at Funeraria del Angel Highland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Sept. 15, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda, left, helps her father, Fidel Banda, put in new flowers by his daughter's tomb plate at Funeraria del Angel Highland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Sept. 15, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Richard "Trey" Ford III touches his mother's tomb plate at Funeraria del Angel Highland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Sept. 15, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

American flags fly over graves at Funeraria del Angel Highland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, where Melissa Banda is entombed, Sept. 17, 2026, in Weslaco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Siblings Kimberly Ford and Richard "Trey" Ford III shop for flowers at Floreria Lee for their mother's tomb plate, Sept. 14, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Fidel Banda, right, is greeted by his grandchildren, Kimberly Ford, from right, Kathryn Shergold, center, Joey Leal III, rear, and daughter Cindy Banda, at Floreria Lee as they shop for flowers before visiting the tomb of his daughter, Melissa Banda, Sept. 14, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda walks back to her car after leaving flyers advertising Spectrum internet services at local businesses, Sept. 14, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Kathryn Shergold, right, solves a Rubik's Cube in the car as her cousin Kimberly Ford, left, looks on, Sept. 14, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Kathryn Shergold low-fives her mother Cindy Banda before returning to soccer practice, Sept. 16, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda waves to her niece Kimberly Ford, right, after dropping her off with a friend for an after school program, Sept. 14, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda, rear, watches as her daughter Kathryn Shergold jumps on the trampoline at dusk, Sept. 14, 2026, at their home in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda drinks a home remedy after experiencing side effects from the targeted therapy pill Kisqali, Sept. 16, 2026, at her house in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda, staying home from work after experiencing side effects from the targeted therapy pill Kisqali, watches the movie, "Toy Story," on Sept. 16, 2026, at her house in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

EDS NOTE: NUDITY - Cindy Banda shows her mastectomy scar, Sept. 16, 2026, at her home in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda massages her arm near her mastectomy scar to stretch the skin ahead of reconstruction surgery, Sept. 15, 2026, at her house in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda shows her Kisqali targeted therapy pills, Sept. 15, 2026, at her home in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda participates in a work meeting from home, Sept. 15, 2026, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Cindy Banda, who is battling cancer while caring for her sister's kids in addition to her own, holds her necklace as she drives past the house from where her sister, Melissa Banda, was abducted by her ex-husband before he killed her, in McAllen, Texas, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of widening U.S. influence in Latin America.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes -- 51.8% of the total vote -- over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro. The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places across Brazil, following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by Bolsonaro.

His triumph bucks a trend in Latin America where increasing numbers of right-of-center presidential candidates allied with Trump have been winning. Lula’s victory leaves Mexico and Brazil, Latin America’s two most populous nations, with left-of-center leaders. It also positions Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, to remain independent of the U.S., despite the pressure of increased tariffs imposed by Trump.

A video published by Lula’s campaign shows the veteran leader celebrating with First Lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil’s electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife. Hundreds of his supporters began gathering on São Paulo’s main artery to celebrate the victory.

In Rio de Janiero, cars beeped their horns and a woman dressed in red — the color of Lula supporters — shouted “You lost! Cry harder!” to four men in yellow and green sipping beers, Bolsonaro's signature colors. A huge roar echoed in the street as the result was confirmed.

Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said that another Lula government would harm the economy. He pointed to financial markets’ positive reaction to the result of the first round, when Bolsonaro bested Lula.

“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”

Bolsonaro had yet to respond to Lula's apparent victory, which, if confirmed by electoral authorities, will give him his non-consecutive fourth term as president. The next term begins on Jan. 5, 2027.

The electoral court's announcement ended an evening of confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two more hours, following requests by both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

The decision delayed tallying the votes by two hours. It was unclear how many polling stations stayed open after the scheduled closing time.

Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira noted that Zanin, who made the decision, is Lula's former lawyer.

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. Sunday night's apparent victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency.

Lula faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

This will likely be the last victory of the veteran leader’s political career. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers’ Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won it in 2002. He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was reelected in 2014.

Rousseff was impeached for accounting maneuvering in 2016 amid a sprawling corruption probe, which also ensnared Lula. He tried to run for president again in 2018 but was jailed in March after being convicted.

Lula was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil’s Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased. He quickly became one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s biggest critics and narrowly beat him in 2022.

Since he lost the first round, Lula reorganized his campaign, appealed to young voters, put millions of Brazilians on the streets to defend democratic values and his legacy, raised fears of another Bolsonaro administration and boosted several government initiatives.

He joins Trump and Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega — all aged 80 — as the oldest presidents in the Americas.

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrate after he won the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrate after he won the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro flashes a victory sign as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izuierdo)

People walk along the beach during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, wears glasses given to him by a supporter after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, displays a Brazilian flag before voting in a presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Voters line outside a polling station up during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, lines up at a polling station during a presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during a presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Red T-shirts depicting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and yellow T-shirts depicting opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro hang for sale outside a building ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, who is running for reelection, and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin raise their arms in unison at the end of their final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, center, leaves after his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro cheer during his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

A girl standing on a man's shoulders reaches out amid a crowd of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during his final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)