[2][3] In the 2013 regional election, the centre-left candidate, Debora Serracchiani, a Socialist MEP and regional leader of the Democratic Party (PD), narrowly defeated incumbent Renzo Tondo of The People of Freedom (PdL) 39.39% to 39.00%; Saverio Galluccio of the Five Star Movement (M5S) came third with 19.2% of the vote.

Serracchiani was the second woman to hold the office of President of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, after Alessandra Guerra of the Northern League in 1994–1995.

[4] However in 2017 Serracchiani announced her intention not to seek a re-election and the centre-left selected Sergio Bolzonello, former mayor of Pordenone, as the candidate for the presidency.

[5][6] The centre-right coalition choose Massimiliano Fedriga, a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the League and a close ally of Matteo Salvini, as its candidate;[7] while the Five Star Movement's candidate was Alessandro Fraleoni Morgera, a former member of the right-wing party, National Alliance.

[9] This section reports in chronological order the data of the electoral surveys related to this election.