2022 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election

The 2022 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 28 May 2022. If no candidate achieved more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a second round would be held between the two most voted candidates in the first round on 4 June 2022, however, as only two candidates were on the ballot, Luís Montenegro and Jorge Moreira da Silva, a second round was not necessary. Nearly 45,000 party members, out of more than 85,000 active members, were registered to vote.

The elections came after the defeat of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the 2022 Portuguese legislative election, where António Costa of the Socialist Party (PS) achieved an absolute majority. During election night, Rui Rio, the then incumbent leader of the PSD, declared that he didn't see how he could be useful in a PS majority. On 3 February 2022, Rio announced his intention of leaving the PSD leadership and proposed the calling of a snap leadership election.

Luís Montenegro, the centre-right wing candidate, defeated Jorge Moreira da Silva, the centrist to centre-left wing candidate, by a landslide, 72% to 28%, and was elected as the new PSD leader; however, turnout dropped to just above 60%. Montenegro won all the districts in the country and didn't prevail in just 38 municipalities, out of 308.

Candidates

NameBornExperienceAnnouncement dateRef. Luís Montenegro (age 49)Porto Leader of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Caucus (2011–2017)Member of Parliament for Aveiro (2002–2017)29 March 2022 Jorge Moreira da Silva (age 51)Vila Nova de Famalicão Minister of the Environment, Territorial Planning and Energy (2013–2015)Member of Parliament for Lisbon (2005–2006)Member of Parliament for Braga (1995–1999), (2015–2016)Member of the European Parliament (1999–2003)President of the Social Democratic Youth (1995–1998)1 April 2022

Declined

Rui Rio – incumbent President of the Social Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition (2018–2022); former Mayor of Porto (2001–2013); Luís Marques Mendes – political commentator; former leader of the Social Democratic Party (2005–2007); Carlos Moedas – incumbent Mayor of Lisbon (since 2021); former European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation (2014–2019); Pedro Passos Coelho – former Prime Minister (2011–2015); former leader of the Social Democratic Party (2010–2018); Paulo Rangel – Member of the European Parliament (2009–2024); candidate for the party leadership in the 2021 elections; Miguel Poiares Maduro – former Minister for Regional Development (2013–2015); José Ribau Esteves – incumbent Mayor of Aveiro (2013–2025); former Mayor of Ílhavo (1998–2013); Miguel Pinto Luz – deputy mayor of Cascais (2017–2024); candidate for the party leadership in the 2020 elections; Pedro Rodrigues – former Social Democratic Youth leader (2007–2010); former member of the Assembly of the Republic (2019–2022; 2009–2011); André Coelho Lima – Member of the Assembly of the Republic from Braga (2019–2024).

Opinion polls All voters Polling firm/Commissioner Fieldwork date Sample size Others/Undecided LeadAximage 19–24 May 2022 8052121 58 TieIntercampus 7–15 May 2022 61154.7 32.1 13.2 22.6

PSD voters Polling firm/Commissioner Fieldwork date Sample size Others/Undecided LeadAximage 19–24 May 2022 80541 22 37 19

Results + Summary of the May 2022 PSD leadership election results Candidate 28 May 2022 Votes % Luís Montenegro 19,241 72.48 Jorge Moreira da Silva 7,306 27.52 Total 26,547 Valid votes 26,547 98.38 Invalid and blank ballots 437 1.62 Votes cast / turnout 26,984 60.46 Registered voters 44,628 Sources: Official results

Results by party federation The following table shows a breakdown of the results of the election by party federation, which are mostly equal to the electoral circles. +Result breakdown of the 2022 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership electionFederationLuís MontenegroJorge Moreira da SilvaInvalid ballotsVotes castRegisteredVotes%Votes%Algarve50158.5335541.47108661,314Aveiro1,73464.7394535.27562,7354,581Baixo Alentejo16677.934722.073216322Braga2,53366.611,27033.39683,8716,533Bragança76085.8812514.12159001,305Castelo Branco28568.6713031.339424714Coimbra78075.3625524.64261,0611,743Évora20575.936524.073273463Guarda61076.2519023.75118111,210Leiria81877.3224022.68211,0791,934Lisbon: Urban Area2,06969.5790530.43443,0185,668Lisbon: Oeste17371.197028.816249400Portalegre13875.824424.181183286Porto3,13472.831,16927.17754,3787,671Santarém60477.8417222.16147901,332Setúbal48466.1224833.88197511,256Viana do Castelo60274.5020625.50238311,162Vila Real93780.0223419.9871,1781,658Viseu111577.0033323.00101,4581,989Azores35375.4311524.572470691Madeira1,15287.7116212.29141,3322,261Europe7581.521718.48092118Outside of Europe950.00950.0001818

See also Elections in Portugal List of political parties in Portugal

References

External links PSD Official website