The socialists launched Álvaro Beleza as a candidate for Lisbon City Council. He is a doctor and leader of the Socialist Party who, although not yet the official candidate, was publicly presented as one of the options to lead the PS candidacy in the capital.
Beleza refused to rule himself out of the race, stating that "you can never say never," thus leaving the possibility open for a potential candidacy to the Lisbon city hall.
Friends of the Socialist Party highlight two main advantages of the doctor and party leader: his television fame, which gives him media exposure, and his ability to communicate with sectors to the right of the party, which could broaden the support base of the candidacy.
