Trump Admirer's Lead Disappears on Election Day

The far-right populist and Donald Trump admirer who had been leading in the polls was denied a first-round victory in Argentina's presidential election on Sunday and is headed for a runoff. Economy Minister Sergio Massa, a centrist, defeated Javier Milei, 36.6% to 29.9%, the Guardian reports. They'll face off Nov. 19, and both began trying to line up a majority on Monday. The third-place finisher Sunday, former security minister Patricia Bullrich, suggested she'll endorse Milei, though she hasn't done it yet. She would not congratulate Massa, saying her backers would never support "the mafias that have destroyed this country." Bullrich received 23.82% of the vote, per CNN.

But Massa figures to pick up many of the votes given to the fourth- and fifth-place finishers, per the Guardian. Many analysts did not expect such a strong showing for the government at a time of such disillusionment in the country. Milei had said Massa's Peronist coalition is to blame for the nation's triple-digit inflation and promised to make dramatic changes to the economy, per the AP. Massa told voters that Milei's promised budget-slashing would hurt Argentinians who already are struggling financially—suggesting jumps in public transportation fares in Buenos Aires, for example. The strategy "had a significant impact and evidently instilled more fear than anything else," a consultant said.

Another analyst said Milei probably drove away some voters with his emphasis on culture war issues such as abortion access and gun rights. Leftists in and out of Argentina celebrated the result, including Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombia President Gustavo Petro. "Argentina has defeated barbarism," Petro tweeted. Turnout exceeded 75%, with more than 25 million Argentinians voting, the election agency reported. "It has been a model day of Argentine democracy," said Julio Vitobello, general secretary of the presidency. (More Argentina stories.)