Argentine elections leave radical outsider and centrist economy minister in November runoff [View all]
Argentines flocked to the polls on Sunday to vote in a national election where a far-right libertarian and the pragmatic economy minister lead three other candidates in the race for the presidency - and will proceed to a November 19th runoff.
With 82% of precincts reporting, centrist Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, 51, leads with 36.1%; with far-right economist Javier Milei, 53, second with 30.4%; and right-wing former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, 67, eliminated with 23.7%.
Over 35 million voters were registered in this year's elections, held in nearly 17,000 precincts - plus 141 embassies and consulates worldwide.
Popular discontent in the economically troubled nation of 46 million depressed turnout somewhat, which at 77.6% was somewhat below the 81% registered in 2019 - but well above the 70% in nationwide primaries this August.
Voters also chose 130 congressional and 24 senate seats, as well as three governors and the mayor of Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof - whose province is home to 3 out of 8 Argentines - handily secured re-election with 45.2%, to right-wing challenger Néstor Grindetti's 26.2%.
A runoff, on the other hand, appears likely in the city of Buenos Aires - where right-wing candidate Jorge Macri (a cousin of the former president) has garnered 49.3% to center-left challenger Leandro Santoro's 32.3%.
Debt and democracy
Outgoing President Alberto Fernández, 64, opted out of running for re-election as he suffers from rock-bottom approval ratings amid annual inflation of over 138% - partly the result of a foreign debt "Macrisis" inherited from his right-wing predecessor, Mauricio Macri.
"We're in our 40th year of democracy, such that today is a particularly important day," President Fernández remarked after voting in Buenos Aires this morning.
This was the 10th presidential election held in Argentina since 1983, following a 7-year fascist dictatorship that presided over 30,000 "disappeared" and a foreign debt debacle that burdens to the country to this day.
Milei and his running mate, Victoria Villarruel, 48, have openly praised the last dictatorship.
At: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-heads-polls-grip-fierce-economic-crisis-2023-10-22/
Leading Argentine presidential candidates Sergio Massa (center-left), Patricia Bullrich (hard-right), and Javier Milei (far-right).
Representing the governing coalition, the pragmatic Massa will face off against the neo-fascist Milei in runoff elections this November.
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