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Centre-left candidate Antonio Jose Seguro decisively defeated far-right rival Andre Ventura in Portugal's presidential run-off election Sunday, capturing 66 percent of the vote with 95 percent of ballots counted, according to near-complete results.
The 63-year-old Socialist veteran will succeed conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as president, marking a significant rebuke to the far right after an election campaign disrupted by devastating storms that killed at least seven people and caused an estimated four billion euros in damage across the country.
Exit polls from two national television stations had projected Seguro would win between 67 and 73 percent of the vote, with Ventura receiving between 27 and 33 percent—figures closely aligned with the official count.
Two weeks of fierce gales and storms upended the campaign and forced approximately 20 of the worst-hit constituencies to postpone voting by one week, though nearly all of Portugal's 11 million eligible voters, including those abroad, were able to cast ballots as scheduled Sunday.
Ventura had criticized the government's response to the extreme weather and unsuccessfully pushed to have the entire election postponed. His campaign failed to gain traction despite positioning himself as a break from the parties that have governed Portugal for the past five decades.
Casting his ballot in Caldas de Rainha, Seguro urged supporters to turn out, saying: "Come and vote. Make the most of this window of good weather." His camp had expressed concern that storm-related disruption and voter complacency might suppress turnout among his supporters.
Seguro, a veteran political operator and former Socialist Party leader who began his career in the party's youth wing, has been largely absent from public life for the past decade. In 2014, he lost an internal power struggle and was ousted as secretary general by future prime minister Antonio Costa, who now serves as president of the European Council.
Despite his years out of the spotlight, Seguro never abandoned his commitment to what he called a "modern and moderate left." He launched his presidential campaign without initial backing from Socialist Party leadership, though most party figures eventually rallied behind him. He steadily climbed in polls throughout the race, with surveys Wednesday showing him at 67 percent support for the run-off.
In the first round of voting in January, which featured 11 candidates, Seguro topped the field with 31.1 percent, ahead of Ventura's 23.5 percent. Since no candidate won a majority, the top two advanced to Sunday's second round.
Ventura became the first extreme-right candidate to reach a presidential run-off in Portugal. His Chega (Enough) party, founded only in 2019, became the leading opposition force following general elections in May 2025.
Political science professor Jose Santana Pereira noted that Ventura is seeking to "assert himself as the true leader of the Portuguese right." The candidate positioned himself as a unifying figure and warned of a potential "nightmare" if his opponent won.
Seguro secured endorsements from political figures across the spectrum, from the far left to the centre and right. However, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declined to endorse either candidate in the second round. His minority centre-right government requires support from either the Socialists or the far right to pass legislation through parliament.
In Portugal, the president holds the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections but otherwise serves in a largely symbolic role. Seguro will take office in early March.
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