(04/14/10) -

Serra Barely Ahead of Rousseff in Brazil

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Brazilians could be facing a tight first round in this year’s presidential election, according to a poll by Vox Populi released by Bandeirantes. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for Jose Serra of the Brazilian Party of Social Democracy (PSDB) in the upcoming ballot.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Brazilians could be facing a tight first round in this year’s presidential election, according to a poll by Vox Populi released by Bandeirantes. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for Jose Serra of the Brazilian Party of Social Democracy (PSDB) in the upcoming ballot.

Dilma Rousseff of the ruling Workers’ Party (PT) is a close second with 31 per cent, followed by Ciro Gomes of the Socialist People’s Party (PSB) with 10 per cent, and Marina Silva of the Green Party (PV) with seven per cent.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva—a member of the PT—won the October 2002 presidential election with 61 per cent of the vote in a run-off against Serra. In October 2006, he earned a new four-year term, defeating PSDB candidate Geraldo Alckmin with 60.8 per cent of the vote in the second round.

Lula has publicly endorsed Rousseff as his preferred successor. In February, the PT officially selected Rousseff as the party’s presidential candidate.

In March, Rousseff stepped down as Lula’s chief of staff and Serra resigned as governor of the state of Sao Paulo in order to launch their presidential bids.

On Mar. 31, Serra spoke about himself, saying, "I am considered an obsessive person, but my biggest obsession has been to serve the interests of my state and of my country."

Lula is ineligible for a third term in office. The first round of Brazil’s next presidential election is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Polling Data

Who would you vote for in the next presidential election?