2007 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election

The 2007 Portuguese Social Democratic Party leadership election was held on 28 September 2007. This was a snap leadership election called by then party leader Luís Marques Mendes, elected in April 2005.^[1] Marques Mendes triggered the snap leadership ballot after the PSD bad result in the July 2007 Lisbon mayoral by-election, in which the PSD candidate, Fernando Negrão, polled 3rd place with just 16% of the votes.^[2] Marques Mendes decided to run for reelection and faced Luís Filipe Menezes in the leadership ballot. On election day, Menezes defeated Marques Mendes by a 54% to 43% margin and was elected as the new leader of the PSD.^[3]

2007 Social Democratic Party leadership election

← 2006 28 September 2007 2008 →
Turnout	62.4% 25.1 pp
Candidate Luís Filipe Menezes Luís Marques Mendes Popular vote 21,101 16,973 Percentage 53.6% 43.1%
Leader before election Luís Marques Mendes Elected Leader Luís Filipe Menezes

Menezes leadership was, however, very short and in April 2008 he announced his resignation and exit from the leadership.^[4]

Candidates

Name	Born	Experience	Announcement date	Ref.
Luís Marques Mendes	5 November 1957 (age 49) Guimarães	Deputy Prime Minister (1992–1995) Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (2002–2004) Member of Parliament for Braga (1987–1991); (1995–1999) Member of Parliament for Viana do Castelo (1991–1995) Member of Parliament for Aveiro (1999–2009) President of the Social Democratic Party (2005–2007)	16 July 2007	[1]
Luís Filipe Menezes	2 November 1953 (age 53) Ovar	Member of Parliament for Porto (1987–1995) Mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia (1997–2013)	24 July 2007	[5]

Results

Summary of the September 2007 PSD leadership election results

Candidate		28 September 2007
		Votes	%
	Luís Filipe Menezes	21,101	53.62
	Luís Marques Mendes	16,973	43.14
Total		38,074
Valid votes		38,074	96.75
Invalid and blank ballots		1,279	3.25
Votes cast / turnout		39,353	62.42
Registered voters		63,042
Sources: Official results

Vote share Luís Filipe Menezes   53.62% Luís Marques Mendes   43.13% Blank/Invalid   3.25%

See also

• Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
• List of political parties in Portugal
• Elections in Portugal