Argentina presidential election goes to runoff after no single candidate prevails

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Argentina's presidential election was headed for a runoff contest Monday after none of the three main candidates won sufficient votes for an outright victory in a contest largely fought on the country's ailing economy.

In an upset, Economy Minister Sergio Massa came out on top with 37% of the 26.3 million votes cast, followed Javier Milei with 30% and Patricia Bullrich in third place on 23.8%, provisional results from the electoral commission show.

The far-right populist Milei had been expected to sweep to victory but with no candidate achieving the 45% vote threshold to get over the finish line, the race will now be decided in a Nov. 19 runoff between Massa and Milei.

The policies of the maverick economist and TV pundit Milei include abolishing the central bank, abandoning the Argentine peso in favor of the U.S. dollar as the country's currency, and cutting off main trading partners China and Brazil.

Voters ultimately voted for the safe option of the ruling Peronist coalition's Massa, despite inflation approaching 140%, the peso at record lows, and the economy forecast to contract by 2.5% in 2023.

Speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters in the early hours of Monday, Massa pledged a national unity government he said would usher in "a new phase in Argentina's political history."

"Know that as president I will not fail you," he said pledging to restore national certainty. "Argentina is a big family and what it needs is someone to work 24/7 to protect it."

However, a Massa victory is by no means guaranteed as Mllei is expected to pick up many of Bullrich's right-leaning voters in the second round.

Milei appealed to voters to support him in the run-off, presenting it as a battle between the forces of "freedom" and "nefarious Kirchnerism."

"Above all, I want you to be aware that today we are in the most important election in 100 years. An election that will ask us if we want to continue with this [Peronist government] model or if we want to embrace the ideas of freedom," said Milei.

"Kirchnerism is the worst thing that has happened to Argentina. If all of us who want change don't work, they are going to keep this country. We cannot let Kirchnerism continue to destroy our lives. The choice ahead of us is very clear: either we change or we sink."

Kirchnerism refers to a leftist branch of Peronism championed by presidents Nestor and Cristina Kirchner in the first decade of the century centered on prioritizing relations with Latin America, developing a South American single market, and refusing to conform to the IMF and World Bank.