2018 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election

The 2018 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 13 January 2018. The leadership election was held after then PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho confirmed he would not run for another term in the aftermath of the poor results of the PSD in the 2017 local elections.

2018 Social Democratic Party leadership election
13 January 2018
 
Candidate Rui Rio Pedro Santana Lopes
Popular vote 22,728 19,244
Percentage 54.2% 45.8%
Leader before election

Pedro Passos Coelho

 Elected Leader

Rui Rio

Only two candidates came forward: Rui Rio, former mayor of Porto, and Pedro Santana Lopes, former PSD leader, Prime Minister and mayor of Lisbon. This was Santana Lopes 5th leadership campaign, as he also ran in 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2008. As only two candidates were on the ballot, a second round wasn't necessary. On January 13, 2018, Rui Rio defeated Pedro Santana Lopes by a 54% to 46% margin, thus becoming the new leader of the PSD.[1] Pedro Santana Lopes was, again, defeated in a PSD leadership contest for a 5th time. Rui Rio was confirmed as the new party leader on a party national congress held in Lisbon between 16 and 18 February 2018.[2] Six months after this leadership election, Santana Lopes left the PSD to for his own party, Alliance.[3]

Candidates
Name Born Experience Announcement date Ref.

Rui Rio		 6 August 1957
(age 60)
Porto
Mayor of Porto (2001–2013)
Member of Parliament for Porto (1991–2002)		 11 October 2017 [4]

Pedro Santana Lopes		 29 June 1956
(age 61)
Lisbon		 Prime Minister (2004-2005)
President of the Social Democratic Party (2004–2005)
Mayor of Lisbon (2002-2004); (2005)
Mayor of Figueira da Foz (1997-2001)
Secretary of State of Culture (1990-1994)
Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1980–1991); (1999–2002); (2005–2009)
Member of the European Parliament (1987–1989)		 10 October 2017 [5]

Withdrawn candidates
  • Luís Montenegro, PSD caucus leader (2011–2017)
  • Miguel Pinto Luz, Deputy mayor of Cascais city (2017–Incumbent)

Opinion polls

All voters
Polling firm/Commissioner Fieldwork date Sample size Other
/None
Rui Rio Santana Lopes
Aximage 6–9 Jan 2018 600 69.0 22.5 8.5
Aximage 1–4 Dec 2017 603 71.9 21.8 6.3
Aximage 4–6 Nov 2017 600 65.8 24.3 9.9
Eurosondagem 16–18 Oct 2017 1,003 43.3 42.2 12.5

PSD voters/PSD members
Polling firm/Commissioner Fieldwork date Sample size Other
/None
Rui Rio Santana Lopes
Eurosondagem (PSD members) 7–9 Jan 2018 548 48.9 51.1
Aximage (PSD voters) 6–9 Jan 2018 600 60.4 37.1 2.5
Aximage (PSD voters) 1–4 Dec 2017 603 70.5 26.8 2.7
Aximage (PSD voters) 4–6 Nov 2017 600 69.6 28.0 2.4

Results
Summary of the January 2018 PSD leadership election results
Candidate 13 January 2018
Votes %
Rui Rio 22,72854.15
Pedro Santana Lopes 19,24445.85
Total 41,972
Valid votes 41,972100.00
Invalid and blank ballots 6831.60
Votes cast / turnout 42,65560.34
Registered voters 70,692
Sources: Official results
Vote share
Rui Rio
 
 54.15%
Pedro Santana Lopes
 
 45.85%

See also

References
  1. "Rui Rio é o novo líder do PSD ", SIC Notícias, 13 January 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  2. "Rio: "Não há qualquer hipótese de um bloco central", Jornal de Notícias, 16 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. "Santana Lopes formaliza saída do PSD e prepara-se para formar um novo partido ", SIC Notícias, 4 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  4. Notícias ao Minuto (11 October 2017). "Rui Rio oficializa candidatura. "PSD não é nem nunca será de Direita"". Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  5. Diário de Notícias (10 October 2017). "Santana Lopes anuncia candidatura à presidência do PSD". Retrieved 2 February 2020.
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