Fernandez wins landslide as Argentines vote in presidential first round
Argentines voted Sunday in presidential party primaries - a litmus test, and in effect a first round for general elections on October 27.
Some 34 million Argentines age 16 and over were registered to vote in this year's elections. Polls closed at 6 p.m. local time, and turnout was reportedly high at 75.5%.
Early results show University of Buenos Aires Law Professor Alberto Fernández, running on the center-left 'Front for Everyone' ticket with former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, ahead of incumbent President Mauricio Macri's right-wing 'Together for Change' ticket by at nearly 15%.
As of 10:30 p.m. local time, with 58.7% of precincts in, Fernández garnered 47% of the vote, Macri a distant second at 32.7%, and centrist candidate Roberto Lavagna's 'Federal Consensus' at 8.5%.
Alberto Fernández, 60, served as chief of staff to the late populist President Néstor Kirchner, whose 2003-07 term is widely credited with raising Argentina from its 2001-02 collapse.
He resigned early in Cristina Kirchner's 2007-15 tenure, and were adversaries during her administration - but have become close allies since 2017. Their ticket was further boosted by support from centrist Sergio Massa, who finished a strong third in 2015.
Now a senator, Mrs. Kirchner, 66, had been widely expected to run for president this year - but surprised many by announcing on May 18 that she would instead be Fernández's running mate.
Macrisis
The pro-business Macri, 60, has the support most local media outlets, of financial markets - who have profited from Macri's policy of issuing $29 billion in short-term bills yielding 63% - and of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom Macri shares both ideology and a 35-year friendship.
But he lost popularity amid discontent over austerity measures, massive utility hikes, a foreign debt crisis and IMF bailout, the deepest recession since 2002, and inflation up from 23% when Macri was elected to 56% currently.
Today's rebuke was unexpectedly severe for Macri. Polls had shown Fernández's advantage narrowing since June to around 3% - though door-to-door polls had the difference at around 8%.
"The election turned out badly," Macri acknowledged.
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The nine Argentine presidential candidates, running this year amid a deep recession and debt crisis.
All eyes are on incumbent right-wing President Mauricio Macri (top left); and his center-left rival, Alberto Fernández (2nd, top row).
Exit polls show Fernández's 'Front for Everyone' ahead by nearly 15%, marking an unexpectedly severe rebuke for Macri's neo-con policies.
