President Javier Milei celebrated his stunning victory in midterm elections Sunday as a "turning point" for the country and vowed to charge ahead with his reform agenda.
"Today we reached a turning point, today begins the construction of a great Argentina," he told supporters at a victory party in Buenos Aires.
Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party rebounded from a series of setbacks to win more than 40 percent of the votes cast for members of Congress, while the opposition Peronist coalition, Fuerza Patria, and its allies trailed with around 31 percent.
Here are the winners and losers from another dramatic election night in Argentina.
Winners
President Javier Milei
The President nationalised the campaign and has secured a highly positive result for the second half of his term in office. Support from the United States to stabilise Argentina’s currency, the peso, before the elections gave him breathing room to reach the vote, from which he has emerged strengthened. In his victory speech, the head of state called for dialogue and promoted a conciliatory tone rarely seen – except, that is, if you happen to Peronist or “Kuka.”
Karina Milei
Presidential chief-of-staff Karina Milei emerges as one of the winners of the election. Responsible for building LLA into a national party, with a structure across all provinces, her efforts have resulted in a map painted violet. After being the main target of corruption accusations – a scheme of alleged bribes and kickbacks in the purchase of medicines – the President’s sister returned to centre stage on Sunday night to revel in the results, even delivering brief remarks at the ruling party’s headquarters. The opposition will find it harder to push forward attacks against her in Congress and her position too is strengthened. Expect to hear less about her disagreements with Milei’s top advisor, Santiago Caputo.
Santiago Caputo
Like the aforementioned Karina, another member of the so-called “iron triangle” that has emerged strengthened. Santiago Caputo received praise from President Milei on election night, who placed him on par with his sister in his public acknowledgements. Despite internal disputes with the “Karinismo” faction of La Libertad Avanza, the presidential adviser emerged unscathed, and Milei continues to follow his political guidance and benefit from his ties to figures in the United States.
Patricia Bullrich
Argentina’s national security minister won more than 50 percent of the vote in the Buenos Aires City elections and will take up her seat in the Senate with considerable strength on December 10, departing Milei’s Cabinet. Voters in Buenos Aires continue to validate her strategy of leaving PRO to join LLA and rumours of a run for the mayoral post in 2027 are continuing to grow.
Diego Santilli
PRO national deputy Diego Santilli became the face of victory for La Libertad Avanza in Buenos Aires Province, where he campaigned for just 18 days after José Luis Espert’s controversial withdrawal of his candidacy over links to a suspected drug-trafficker. Santilli, who jumped from third to first place on the list, pulled off an upset in the country’s main electoral district, seen as a Peronist stronghold. He was among the first to insist that PRO should ally with the libertarians in Buenos Aires Province and voters proved him right.
Mauricio Macri
In light of the results, the former president was vindicated in his strategy of once again backing – albeit with some conditions – Milei’s government in recent weeks.
Gerardo Zamora
The governor of Santiago del Estero Province secured another resounding victory across all contested categories, reaffirming the dominance of the Frente Cívico de Santiago at a time when many provincial governments faltered. His endorsed candidate, Elías Suárez, will succeed him as governor.
Losers
Axel Kicillof
The governor led the Fuerza Patria campaign in Buenos Aires Province and became the face of defeat when he addressed supporters at the campaign headquarters in La Plata. His inner circle had expected a performance similar to the nearly 14-point victory achieved on September 7 in the local legislature vote, but nearly half a million votes were lost in under two months. While he claims his focus was on the local election – which he won – he cannot avoid being tainted by the overall defeat. Kirchnerite critics will ramp up the dissent over his decision to split the provincial and national vote, potentially costing the Peronists vital turnout from local mayors who would've been on the ballot.
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
The former president, jailed under house arrest following her corruption conviction, endorsed the Fuerza Patria list and supported the campaign mainly through social media posts. Her visible tension with Kicillof hampered events and the organisation of the campaign. Another figure affected by the electoral setback, along with La Cámpora, and her son, Máximo Kirchner.
Jorge Taiana
Veteran Peronist and former foreign minister headed the Fuerza Patria list, which shed votes in the hundreds of thousands, and failed to inspire. On the campaign trail, he struck a dull yet principled presence and faced accusations he failed to connect with voters.
Sergio Massa
The leader of the Frente Renovador once again shares an electoral defeat with Kirchnerism and Kicillof’s faction, despite his intermittent participation in the campaign. He joined Kicillof and Máximo Kirchner on stage in La Plata to acknowledge the loss but it looks hard for him to find a way back to frontline politics.
Provincias Unidas
Provincial governors Ignacio Torres (Chubut), Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Martín Llaryora (Córdoba) and Carlos Sadir (Jujuy) all lost in their respective regions, derailing their plan to form a strong caucus in Congress and gain a footing ahead of a presidential run (for one of them) in 2027. Juan Schiaretti, who headed the list of candidates for national deputy in Córdoba, lost to an unknown candidate hand-picked by Milei in the province he previously governed for eight years – a massive blow. Torres' list in Chubut came third and in Santa Cruz, Provincias Unidas fell to Kirchnerism.
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