Election Name: | 2021 Social Democratic Party leadership election |
Type: | presidential |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 2020 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election |
Previous Year: | 2020 |
Next Election: | 2022 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election |
Next Year: | 2022 |
Election Date: | 27 November 2021 |
Turnout: | 78.2% 0.8 pp |
Image1 Size: | 150x150px |
Candidate1: | Rui Rio |
Colour1: | FF9900 |
Popular Vote1: | 18,852 |
Percentage1: | 52.4% |
Image2 Size: | 150x150px |
Candidate2: | Paulo Rangel |
Colour2: | FF9900 |
Popular Vote2: | 17,106 |
Percentage2: | 47.6% |
Leader | |
Before Election: | Rui Rio |
After Election: | Rui Rio |
The 2021 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 27 November.[1] 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 1 December, however, as only two candidates will be on the ballot, a second round will not be necessary. The original date for the first round was 4 December, but the party decided to advance the date by a week.
One issue identified during the campaign was the rise of the far-right Chega!. Though neither candidate said they would invite the party into government, Rio signalled he would be open to negotiating with them on a case-by-case basis,[2] while Rangel ruled this out, saying he would only negotiate with CDS – People's Party and Liberal Initiative.[3]
Rui Rio defeated Paulo Rangel by a 52.4% to 47.6% margin and was reelected for a 3rd term as party leader.[4] He led the party into the 2022 snap general elections, which he lost, losing 2 seats in the Assembly of the Republic and that resulted in an absolute majority to the Socialist Party.
Name | Born | Experience | Announcement date | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paulo Rangel | (age 53) Vila Nova de Gaia | Member of the European Parliament (2009–2024) Leader of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Caucus (2008–2009) Member of Parliament for Porto (2005–2009) | 15 October 2021 | [5] | |
Rui Rio | (age 64) Porto | President of the Social Democratic Party (2018–2022) Leader of the Opposition (2018–2022) Member of Parliament for Porto (2019–2022) Mayor of Porto (2001–2013) Member of Parliament for Porto (1991–2002) | 19 October 2021 | [6] |
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Others /Undecided | Lead | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rui Rio | Paulo Rangel | |||||||
Intercampus | data-sort-value="2019-10-03" | 5–11 Nov 2021 | 612 | 49.3 | 34.3 | 16.3 | 15 | |
CESOP–UCP | 29 Oct–4 Nov 2021 | 878 | 43 | 32 | 25 | 11 | ||
Aximage | 28–31 Oct 2021 | 803 | 38 | 31 | 31 | 7 |
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Others /Undecided | Lead | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rui Rio | Paulo Rangel | |||||||
Pitagórica | data-sort-value="2019-10-03" | 10–15 Nov 2021 | ? | 58 | 27 | 15 | 31 | |
CESOP–UCP | 29 Oct–4 Nov 2021 | ? | 48 | 41 | 11 | 7 | ||
Aximage | 28–31 Oct 2021 | ? | 54 | 37 | 9 | 17 |
Candidate | 27 November 2021 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | |||||
Rui Rio | 18,852 | 52.43 | ||||
Paulo Rangel | 17,106 | 47.57 | ||||
Total | 35,958 | |||||
Valid votes | 35,958 | 98.58 | ||||
Invalid and blank ballots | 518 | 1.42 | ||||
Votes cast / turnout | 36,476 | 78.17 | ||||
Registered voters | 46,664 | |||||
Sources: Official results |