2026 Presidential Race in Portugal Heats Up: Who Will Run for Office?

The Countdown to the 2026 Presidential Elections

As we approach the 2026 presidential elections, set to take place in January, the political landscape is beginning to take shape. With more questions than answers regarding candidates, one notable development has emerged: Pedro Nuno Santos, the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), is advocating for the party to support a candidate, a departure from the previous elections in 2016 and 2021.

On the right, potential candidates are starting to emerge. Luís Marques Mendes, a commentator and former PSD president, publicly expressed his interest in running for the presidency back in August 2023, but has postponed his decision until the next year. He is not alone; Pedro Santana Lopes has shown interest in running contingent on favorable polling but later retracted his ambitions. Meanwhile, the current President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, has not ruled out a candidacy but insists it is not the right time to discuss it.

Among the potential candidates from the PSD, Rui Rio, the former party leader, has stated he is '99.99% not' running, while Pedro Passos Coelho has reiterated his desire to stay out of politics.

In the PS, the situation is equally dynamic. Following Santos's announcement of support for a candidate, several socialist figures are positioning themselves for the succession of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. In an interview on October 29, Santos mentioned potential candidates like Mário Centeno, Augusto Santos Silva, Ana Gomes, and António Vitorino. He also included António José Seguro, a former PS leader who has been out of the political scene for a decade, who subsequently revealed he is considering a run.

Mário Centeno, the Governor of the Bank of Portugal, has not dismissed the possibility of a presidential candidacy, along with other prominent figures like António Vitorino and Augusto Santos Silva, who plan to address their ambitions next year.

Outside party lines, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo has gained significant attention since leading the national vaccination plan against COVID-19. Polls indicate he is a front-runner for the presidency. Recently, he informed the Admiralty Council that he would not continue for another two years as Chief of the Navy, clearing the path for a potential presidential bid, a goal he has subtly hinted at in his public speeches.

Despite being non-partisan, Gouveia e Melo's potential candidacy has been viewed positively by André Ventura, the president of Chega, who mentioned that his party might support either the Admiral or Pedro Passos Coelho.

Across other parties, Rui Rocha, the president of IL, believes discussions about the presidency are premature, while both BE and Livre have expressed openness to a joint leftist candidacy. Meanwhile, PCP aims for an independent stance, with Secretary-General Paulo Raimundo not ruling himself out as a candidate.