section_path: Candidates/Social Democratic Party (PSD)
section_name: Social Democratic Party (PSD)
paragraph_text: Social Democratic Party (PSD)
  
  In a televised talk show on 24 April 2021, the party leader Marcel Ciolacu stated that it would be "very likely" that the party president (himself, at that time) would not run for president in 2024. Asked about considering a presidential candidacy, member of the Chamber of Deputies, Alexandru Rafila vaguely answered on 4 July 2021 "never say never" but underlined that running for president is "definitely not my goal". In another televised talk show, former Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu stated that the party is "going for the win" in all elections scheduled for 2024 (legislative, local, European Parliament, and presidential), and he "did not rule out" that Mircea Geoană could be again the party's presidential candidate. Geoană ran for president in 2009 but narrowly lost in the second round to Traian Băsescu, who was then re-elected for a second and final term. Speculations were proven clear that Geoană was running for the presidency in 2024 but did not receive PSD support as it was initially believed according to incumbent PSD president Marcel Ciolacu. On 26 August 2024, at the two-day PSD Congress, Ciolacu was officially designated as the party's presidential candidate.