Domingos Silva became the acting president of the Ovar municipality in March 2024 when Salvador Malheiro left the position to serve in the parliament. Having served as vice-president, Silva assumed the role of president and, after a full year in office, his candidacy for the local branch of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was unanimously approved, including the nomination for the Municipal Assembly candidate.
“I take on this candidacy with a commitment to continue working tirelessly for the progress of our municipality and to give back everything it has provided me. I accepted to run because I want to complete the many works, programs, and projects we have underway, but above all because Ovar is facing demanding challenges that require seriousness, experience, rigor, and competence,” said Domingos Silva.
Among his priorities for the upcoming term are the protection of the coastline, the ria, and the Barrinha de Esmoriz, as well as the dredging of river piers, the rehabilitation of National Road 109, and the modernization of the railway with the refurbishment of the Northern Line and the construction of the high-speed line.
The candidate also expressed a commitment to the urban regeneration of all parishes in the municipality, the “equitable enhancement” of these eight localities, the revision of the Municipal Master Plan, the strengthening of local waste management and enhancement projects, the completion of the already implemented Local Housing Strategy, and the launch of “a comprehensive youth housing program” to assist demographic stabilization in the area.
Culturally, Silva aims to enhance the Ovar Carnival by “improving the parade route” and creating a museum space dedicated to the history of this local festivity.
Born in June 1965, Domingos Silva is an economist and manager, described by the PSD as having “vast experience in managing companies in the industrial, commercial, and service sectors” with a career also “marked by involvement in associative life,” notably his presidency of the Orfeão de Ovar.
Politically, his career began in 1989 when he joined the PSD’s Municipal Assembly lists in Ovar as a non-member, serving several terms and leading the parliamentary group. He later joined the party, became a councilor and vice-president of the municipality in 2013 under Salvador Malheiro, and has chaired the local Social Democratic committee since 2020.
As for Salvador Malheiro, he is an engineer and university professor with a doctorate in Engineering Sciences, specialized in Energy, Thermal, and Combustion from the University of Poitiers in France. His notable achievements include presidency of the Ovar municipality for three terms and the vice-presidency of the national PSD during Rui Rio’s leadership.
In the Parliament, where he served from March 2024 until its dissolution last week, Malheiro was the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Energy.
In Ovar, apart from Domingos Silva, Emanuel Oliveira is the only other formal candidate for the municipal elections, expected to be held in September or October, representing the Socialist Party (PS).
This coastal municipality, encompassing around 148 square kilometers and home to 55,400 residents, is currently governed by the PSD with an absolute majority, holding seven out of nine seats in the municipal executive council, with the remaining two held by the PS.
