| Election Name: | 2008 Social Democratic Party leadership election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2007 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2010 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election |
| Next Year: | 2010 |
| Election Date: | 31 May 2008 |
| Turnout: | 59.1% 3.3 pp |
| Candidate1: | Manuela Ferreira Leite |
| Colour1: | FF9900 |
| Popular Vote1: | 17,278 |
| Percentage1: | 37.9% |
| Candidate2: | Pedro Passos Coelho |
| Colour2: | FF9900 |
| Popular Vote2: | 14,160 |
| Percentage2: | 31.1% |
| Candidate3: | Pedro Santana Lopes |
| Colour3: | FF9900 |
| Popular Vote3: | 13,495 |
| Percentage3: | 29.6% |
| Leader | |
| Before Election: | Luís Filipe Menezes |
| After Election: | Manuela Ferreira Leite |
The 2008 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 31 May 2008. This was a snap leadership election following the surprise resignation of then party leader Luís Filipe Menezes, elected just seven months before in September 2007, from the party's leadership.[1]
Menezes was facing heavy internal criticism for his leadership and opposition strategy but, nonetheless, his resignation surprised party members and structures.[2] Four candidates entered in this snap race: Manuela Ferreira Leite, Pedro Passos Coelho, Pedro Santana Lopes and Mário Patinha Antão.
On election day, Ferreira Leite won the leadership by capturing almost 38% of the votes, while Passos Coelho got 31% of the votes and Santana Lopes polled just below 30%.[3] Patinha Antão polled well below 1%, just 0.7% of the party members votes.
Manuela Ferreira Leite became the first woman to lead a major political party in Portuguese history.[4]
Ferreira Leite would lead the PSD to victory in the 2009 European Parliament election in Portugal,[5] but was defeated in the 2009 general elections held in the fall of the same year.[6]
| Name | Born | Experience | Announcement date | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pedro Passos Coelho | (age 43) Coimbra | Social Democratic Youth leader (1990–1995) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1991–1999) | 18 April 2008 | [7] | |
| Patinha Antão | (age 62) Loulé | Member of Parliament for Braga Member of Parliament for Faro | 21 April 2008 | [8] | |
Pedro Santana Lopes | (age 52) Lisbon | 24 April 2008 | [9] | ||
Manuela Ferreira Leite | (age 67) Lisbon | Minister of Finance (2002–2004) Minister of Education (1993–1995) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1999–2005); (2009–2011) Member of Parliament for Lisbon (1995–1999) | 28 April 2008 | [10] |
| Candidate | 31 May 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | |||||
| Manuela Ferreira Leite | 17,278 | 37.90 | ||||
| Pedro Passos Coelho | 14,160 | 31.06 | ||||
| Pedro Santana Lopes | 13,495 | 29.60 | ||||
| Patinha Antão | 308 | 0.68 | ||||
| Total | 45,241 | |||||
| Valid votes | 45,241 | 99.23 | ||||
| Invalid and blank ballots | 351 | 0.77 | ||||
| Votes cast / turnout | 45,592 | 59.14 | ||||
| Registered voters | 77,090 | |||||
| Sources: Official results | ||||||