FACTBOX-Key names in Brazil's 2010 presidential race

May 29 (Reuters) - Brazil will hold elections in October 2010 to choose the successor to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is barred by law from seeking a third consecutive term. Parties will formally nominate their candidates late this year. Here are some of the key names to watch in the race.

* Dilma Rousseff, Lula's chief of staff and chosen candidate to represent his left-of-center Workers' Party. Her candidacy was thrown into doubt last month when she announced she has lymphoma cancer. [ID:nN29408956]

Rousseff favors a free floating currency and a reduction of public debt but wants the central bank to consider economic and job growth when setting monetary policy instead of focusing exclusively on inflation. She trails in opinion polls but would be helped by Lula campaigning on her behalf.

* Sao Paulo state Governor Jose Serra of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). With a 25-point lead over Rousseff in opinion polls, he is likely to be her key challenger. Some investors favor him because of the PSDB's market-friendly track record. He would likely weaken ties with Lula's left-wing allies in Latin America and cut the public sector payroll.

* Aecio Neves, governor of the state of Minas Gerais. He disputes the PSDB candidacy with Serra but enjoys less support among the party's top brass. He trails Rousseff by 5 percentage points in opinion polls. The party is expected to decide between Neves and Serra by August 2009.

* Ciro Gomes, former governor of the northeastern state of Ceara and member of Lula's cabinet until 2006. Polls show him roughly tied with Rousseff in second place. His bid would take more votes from Rousseff than from Serra, polls show. Currently with the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), he ran for president in 2002 but had a poor showing after making sexist remarks and struggling to control his temper.

* Antonio Palocci, former market-friendly finance minister in the Lula administration and a potential fallback candidate for the PT if Rousseff ends up not running. Once a rising star in the PT, he is still well-known but faces investigations over his role in a 2005 corruption scandal involving the party.

* Education Minister Fernando Haddad, another potential fallback candidate for the PT if Rousseff's candidacy fails to take off. While likable and an able speaker, he is not well known outside political circles and has little sway inside the party. (Reporting by Raymond Colitt, Editing by Todd Benson and Kieran Murray)