2010 Brazilian General Election: Election of Dilma Rousseff as President of Brazil

As no presidential candidate received more than 50% in the first round of voting, a second round was held on 31 October to choose Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's replacement as President of Brazil. Lula da Silva had already served two terms after winning the elections in 2002 and being re-elected in 2006.

With the support of Lula, the Workers' Party (PT) nominated Dilma Rousseff, a former member and co-founder of the Democratic Labour Party. For her vice presidential running mate, Dilma chose Michel Temer, a member of the centre-right Brazilian Democratic Movement, who was President of the Chamber of Deputies.

The centre-right Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) nominated José Serra, who resigned as Governor of São Paulo to run for president. He had been the presidential nominee of his party in 2002. For his vice presidential running mate, Serra chose Indio da Costa, a conservative Federal Deputy.

Marina Silva, a Senator from the northwestern state of Acre and former Minister of the Environment under Lula, left the PT to run for president as a member of the Green Party. Silva, became popular with younger voters and won almost 20% of the vote in the first round.

•  
  Chief of Staff
  Dilma Rousseff
  from Minas Gerais
•  
  Governor
  José Serra
  of São Paulo
•  
  Senator
  Marina Silva
  from Acre

In the first round, Dilma won 47% of the vote, Serra 33% and Silva 19%. Dilma went on to beat Serra in the second round, becoming the first female President of Brazil. Dilma won 56.05% of the vote against Serra's 43.95% of the vote.