1998 Brazilian general election

Election results

General elections were held in Brazil on 4 October 1998 to elect the President, National Congress and state governorships. The election saw voting machines used for the first time in Brazilian history. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of the centre-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) and Vice President Marco Maciel of the conservative Liberal Front Party (PFL) were running for re-election.^[1]

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party (PT), a former labor leader and federal deputy, ran for the presidency for a third time.^[2] Lula had previously run for the presidency in both 1989, where he lost to Fernando Collor, and 1994, where he lost to Cardoso. Lula chose Leonel Brizola of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) as his running mate.

Ciro Gomes, a populist who was Governor of Ceará and as Minister of Finance during the Itamar Franco administration, also ran for president.^[3] He ran as a member of the centre-left Popular Socialist Party (PPS).

Cardoso won reelection with an absolute majority in the first round winning 53.06% of the vote against Lula's 31.71% and Gomes's 10.97%. Cardoso became the first Brazilian president since the fall of the military dictatorship to be re-elected.

References

1. "Leonel Brizola, 82; Brazilian Politician". Los Angeles Times. 2004-06-23. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
2. Boas, Taylor C. (2016-03-04). Presidential Campaigns in Latin America: Electoral Strategies and Success Contagion. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-316-54626-0.
3. "Folha de S.Paulo - Partido pode apoiar Ciro Gomes - 30/6/1998". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 2020-12-02.