2006 Venezuelan presidential election

2006 Venezuelan presidential election

← 2000 3 December 2006 2012 →
Turnout	74.69%
Nominee Hugo Chávez Manuel Rosales Party Fifth Republic A New Era Popular vote 7,309,080 4,292,466 Percentage 62.85% 36.91%
Results by state. Darker shades indicate higher percentage.
Results by municipality Hugo Chávez   40–49%   50–59%   60-69%   70-79%   80-89%   90-99% Manuel Rosales   50–59%   60-69%   70-79%
President before election Hugo Chávez MVR Elected President Hugo Chávez MVR

Presidential elections were held in Venezuela on 3 December 2006 to elect a president for a six-year term to begin on 10 January 2007. The contest was primarily between incumbent President Hugo Chávez, and Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales of the opposition party A New Era.

After winning a recall referendum in 2004, President Chávez positioned himself for re-election in 2006 for a second full term. The opposition did not hold a primary, instead, the candidates reached a consensus into backing the governor of the largest state (Zulia), Manuel Rosales. Chávez benefited from a high popularity, and led most opinion polls throughout the campaign. He went to win re-election by the widest margin by percentage of the popular vote since the 1947 elections, and by the largest margin of votes cast in the history of Venezuela.