Joaquim Martins Ferreira do Amaral (born 13 April 1945) is a Portuguese former politician of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
He was a candidate for Lisbon mayor in the 1997 local elections and lost to incumbent PS mayor João Soares by a 52% to 39% margin. Four years later, he ran for President of the Republic in the 2001 election, taking just under 35% of the vote and losing to incumbent Jorge Sampaio.
He served in the Assembly of the Republic from the seventh to ninth legislatures (1995–2009), first for Lisbon, then Leiria.
As the Minister for Public Works, Transport and Communications he oversaw the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge. He later served as the president of Lusoponte, the company that built it.
Electoral history Lisbon City Council election, 1997
! colspan="2" | Party ! Candidate ! align="center" style="width: 50px"| Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|Seats ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|+/− |- | style="background:magenta;"| | align="left"|PS/CDU/UDP | align=left | João Soares || 165,072 || 51.9 || 10 || style="color:red;"| –1 |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"|PSD/CDS–PP | align=left |Ferreira do Amaral || 124,866 || 39.3 || 7 || style="color:green;"| +1 |- | style="background:darkred;"| | align="left"| PSR/PXXI | align=left |Francisco Louçã || 8,315 || 2.6 || 0 || new |- | style="background:;"| | align="left"| PCTP/MRPP | align=left |– || 6,070 || 1.9 || 0 || ±0 |- | colspan="3" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 13,799 || 4.3 || – || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="3" align="left"| Turnout | 318,102 || 48.29 || 17 || ±0 |- | colspan="7" align=left|Source: Autárquicas 1997
Presidential election, 2001
! colspan="2" |Candidate ! Votes ! align="center" style="width: 50px"|% |- | style="background:;"| | align=left |Jorge Sampaio || 2,401,015 || 55.6 |- | style="background:;"| | align=left |Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral || 1,498,948 || 34.7 |- | style="background:;"| | align=left |António Abreu || 223,196 || 5.2 |- | style="background:;"| | align=left |Fernando Rosas || 129,840 || 3.0 |- | style="background:;"| | align=left |Garcia Pereira || 68,900 || 1.6 |- | colspan="2" align="left"| Blank/Invalid ballots | 127,901 || – |- style="background-color:#E9E9E9" | colspan="2" align="left"| Turnout | 4,449,800 || 49.71 |- | colspan="4" align=left|Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições
Honours Portugal Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (30 January 2006)
Other countries Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (27 September 1991) Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross (25 July 1996)
References