The Brazilian democracy has completed two decades and under this inspiration this article examines the political, social and economic scene of the country in 2008. Bearing in mind that municipal elections, held in October, were the main event of the conjuncture, the article identifies who were the relevant actors, their agendas and interaction models, and the context where they were developed throughout the process. Subsequently, the elections are analyzed both in terms of their results, as in what can be detected in terms of the impact on the 2010 presidential dispute.