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Argentina held a presidential election on Sunday, 27 April 2003. Turnout was 78.2%. No one presidential candidate gained enough votes to win outright, but the scheduled runoff was cancelled when former president and first-round winner Carlos Menem pulled out just 4 days before the planned runoff on 18 May, handing the presidency to runner-up, Santa Cruz Province Governor Néstor Kirchner of the Front for Victory. Legislative elections were held on 12 dates, 27 April, 24 August, 31 August, 7 September, 14 September, 28 September, 5 October, 19 October, 26 October, 9 November, 16 November and 23 November. As of 2023, this marked the last time that both the president-elect and vice president-elect ticket were both men.
For the first time since the return of democracy in 1983, the Justicialist Party (PJ) failed to agree on a single presidential candidate. Three credible Peronist candidates ran in the election: center-right former President Carlos Menem, center-left Santa Cruz Province Governor Néstor Kirchner, and centrist former president Adolfo Rodríguez Saá.[1] None were officially supported by the party, though President Eduardo Duhalde publicly endorsed Governor Kirchner on January 15, 2003. The PJ suspended its January 24 convention, opting to allow the three contenders to run on the Peronist mantle. None of the candidates were allowed to use the traditional Peronist iconography in detriment of the others.[1]
For the first time since 1916, the UCR did not field a presidential candidate.[1] After the political collapse at the peak of the economic crisis that led to the resignation of President Fernando de la Rúa at the end of 2001, popular support for the UCR was at historically low levels. Two strong former members of the UCR founded parties based on their politics: Congresswoman Elisa Carrió founded a left-of-center party, the ARI, and economist Ricardo López Murphy founded a right-wing one, Recreate for Growth.
These five strong candidates were practically tied in all the pre-election polls. Menem obtained the most votes in the first round, but far short of a first-round victory (about 24%), so a runoff election against Kirchner was required, and was scheduled for May 18. However, after two terms in office from 1989 to 1999, Menem's popularity remained very low. All signs pointed to a record victory for Kirchner (polls showed him leading Menem by anywhere from a 35 to a 50% margin).[2] [3] Rather than face a humiliating defeat, Menem withdrew from the runoff on May 14, a move that was roundly criticized by the other candidates.[4] [3] The courts refused to authorize a new election, and also refused to sanction a runoff between Kirchner and López Murphy (though the latter let it be known he would not take part in any case). Finally, Congress sanctioned Kirchner as president-elect, with the lowest vote share ever recorded for a president in a free election.
Legislative and gubernatorial elections were held throughout 2003, with polls open in different provinces between April and November; average turnout was 70.8%.[5]
These elections were unprecedented in their staggered scheduling; indeed, legislators and governors were chosen over 12 different dates, during 2003. They were also, however, a return to political normalcy following a chaotic and economically depressed 2002.
The Justicialist Party, which was divided among three candidates in the presidential race, remained largely united in legislative and local races. They added 12 seats in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, as well as 2 governorships, and fears of a high number of dissident tickets did not materialize.
The centrist Radical Civic Union, senior partners in the ill-fated Alliance that had returned them to power in 1999, were left with their smallest representation since 1954, though they were not replaced by the center-left ARI in a significant way; the ARI added but 2 Congressmen.
Voters sentiment improved over 2001 levels (when the sentiment among many was that "they should all go"), though not significantly. Turnout increased only modestly, and the use of invalid votes declined from 24% to 15% from the tense 2001 elections. Voters in the important Santa Fe Province, in particular, curbed their use of spoiled ballots from 30% to 20%.[6]
Kirchner ended 2003 on a more secure footing than before these local and legislative elections. He benefited from allies such as the new governor of the paramount Buenos Aires Province, Felipe Solá, as well as the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Aníbal Ibarra. Argentina celebrated 20 years of continuous democratic rule on December 10, 2003, with a new government carrying generous numbers of allies in Congress and the provinces, as well as voters' high expectations.[6]
| Presidential candidate | Vice Presidential candidate | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left rowspan=3 | Carlos Menem | align=left rowspan=3 | Juan Carlos Romero | Total Menem - Romero | 4,741,200 | 24.45 | |
| Front for Loyalty | 3,776,867 | 19.48 | |||||
| Union of the Democratic Centre (UCEDE) | 964,333 | 4.97 | |||||
| Néstor Kirchner | Daniel Scioli | Front for Victory (FPV) | 4,313,131 | 22.25 | |||
| Ricardo López Murphy | Ricardo Gómez Diez | bgcolor=yellow | Federal Movement Recreate for Growth (Recrear) | 3,173,584 | 16.37 | ||
| align=left rowspan=3 | Adolfo Rodríguez Saá | align=left rowspan=3 | Melchor Posse | Total Rodríguez Saá - Posse | 2,736,091 | 14.11 | |
| Front of the Popular Movement | 2,340,355 | 12.07 | |||||
| Unity and Liberty Party (PUL) | 395,736 | 2.04 | |||||
| Elisa Carrió | Gustavo Gutiérrez | Support for an Egalitarian Republic (ARI) | 2,723,207 | 14.05 | |||
| Leopoldo Moreau | Mario Losada | Radical Civic Union (UCR) | 453,373 | 2.34 | |||
| Patricia Walsh | Marcelo Parrilli | bgcolor=red | United Left (IU) | 332,703 | 1.72 | ||
| Alfredo Bravo | Rubén Giustiniani | Socialist Party (PS) | 217,387 | 1.12 | |||
| Jorge Altamira | Eduardo Salas | bgcolor=darkred | Workers' Party (PO) | 139,402 | 0.72 | ||
| Enrique Carlos Venturino | Federico Manuel Pinto Kramer | bgcolor=black | All of Them Must Go Confederation | 129,782 | 0.67 | ||
| Guillermo Sullings | Liliana Ambrosio | bgcolor=orange | Humanist Party (PH) | 105,705 | 0.55 | ||
| align=left rowspan=3 | José Carlos Arcagni | align=left rowspan=3 | Marcelo Daniel Zenof | Total Arcagni - Zenof | 63,384 | 0.32 | |
| Times of Changes Alliance | 54,873 | 0.28 | |||||
| Popular Union (UP) | 8,511 | 0.04 | |||||
| Mario Mazzitelli | Adrián Rodolfo Camps | Authentic Socialist Party (PSA) | 50,303 | 0.26 | |||
| Carlos Zaffore | Elsa Fabiana Perié | bgcolor=darkblue | Integration and Development Movement (MID) | 47,954 | 0.25 | ||
| Manuel Eduardo Herrera | Eduardo Alfredo Cúneo | bgcolor=darkblue | Christian Democratic Party (PDC) | 47,755 | 0.25 | ||
| Gustavo Breide Obeid | Ramiro Vasena | People's Reconstruction Party (PPR) | 42,461 | 0.22 | |||
| Juan Ricardo Mussa | Roberto Natalio Suárez | bgcolor=lightgrey | United or Dominated Alliance | 39,507 | 0.20 | ||
| Ricardo César Terán | José Alejandro Bonacci | bgcolor=yellow | Movement for Dignity and Independence (MODIN) | 31,766 | 0.16 | ||
| Total | 19,388,695 | 100 | |||||
| Positive votes | 19,388,695 | 97.28 | |||||
| Blank votes | 196,563 | 0.99 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 345,651 | 1.73 | |||||
| Total votes | 19,930,909 | 100 | |||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 25,481,410 | 78.22 | |||||
| Party | Votes | % | Seats won | Total seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justicialist Party (PJ) | 6,250,817 | 39.74 | 65 | 139 | ||
| Radical Civic Union (UCR) | 2,120,625 | 13.48 | 19 | 55 | ||
| Alternative for a Republic of Equals (ARI) | 1,532,737 | 9.74 | 11 | 17 | ||
| Recreate for Growth (Recrear) | 632.303 | 4.02 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Commitment to Change Front (PJ + CxC) | 611,013 | 3.88 | 5 | |||
| Buenos Aires Popular Front | 606,886 | 3.86 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Socialist Party (PS) | 459,899 | 2.92 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Federalist Action for Buenos Aires | 433,369 | 2.76 | 3 | 5 | ||
| New Front | 410,340 | 2.61 | 3 | 3 | ||
| United Left (IU) | 387,570 | 2.46 | — | 1 | ||
| Self-determination and Freedom (AyL) | 208,238 | 1.32 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Humanist Party (PH) | 166,849 | 1.06 | — | — | ||
| Workers' Party (PO) | 151,363 | 0.96 | — | — | ||
| Republican Force (FR) | 125,954 | 0.80 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Front of Everyone (Corrientes) (PJ + UCR) | 121,992 | 0.78 | 2 | |||
| Autonomist Party | 110,757 | 0.70 | — | — | ||
| New Party (PANU) | 102,764 | 0.65 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Salta Renewal Party (PRS) | 95,845 | 0.61 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) | 90,740 | 0.58 | 2 | 4 | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Will for Integration and Authentic Development | 74,911 | 0.48 | — | — | |
| Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) | 72,935 | 0.46 | — | 1 | ||
| United for Salta (PJ + UCR) | 68,216 | 0.43 | 1 | |||
| bgcolor=red | Corrientes Project | 65,188 | 0.41 | 1 | 1 | |
| Civic and Social Front of Catamarca | 63,415 | 0.40 | 2 | |||
| Authentic Socialist Party (PSA) | 64,276 | 0.41 | — | 1 | ||
| Christian Democratic Party (PDC) | 51,449 | 0.33 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=orange | Social Pole | 53,592 | 0.34 | — | 4 | |
| Integration and Development Movement (MID) | 48,185 | 0.31 | — | — | ||
| Socialist Workers' Party (PTS) | 42,339 | 0.27 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Buenos Aires Changes Front | 42,268 | 0.27 | — | — | |
| People's Reconstruction Party (PPR) | 37,793 | 0.24 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Labor Party of Tucumán | 37,327 | 0.24 | — | — | |
| Liberal Party of Corrientes (PLCo) | 35,570 | 0.23 | — | — | ||
| Movement for Socialism (MAS) | 33,000 | 0.21 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Provincial Neighborhood Movement | 30,448 | 0.19 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Río Negro Action Movement | 24,011 | 0.15 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Federal Integration Movement | 22,102 | 0.14 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=skyblue | Renewal Crusade | 21,485 | 0.14 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Democratic Renewal | 20,209 | 0.13 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | People's Party | 16,279 | 0.10 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Our Commitment | 16,078 | 0.10 | — | — | |
| Broad Front (FG) | 14,353 | 0.09 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Authentic Party | 14,069 | 0.09 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | White Party | 13,446 | 0.09 | — | — | |
| Chubut Action Party (PACH) | 13,073 | 0.08 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | People First | 10,441 | 0.07 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | New Party of Solidary Action | 9,927 | 0.06 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Broad Front of Work and Production | 8,299 | 0.05 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Citizen Dignity | 6,310 | 0.04 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Movement for the Unit of Neuquén | 5,936 | 0.04 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Freedom and Responsible Democracy | 5,782 | 0.04 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Retirees in Action Party | 4,673 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Front for Change | 4,617 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Retirees and Youth Movement | 4,429 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | San Luis Force | 4,101 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Citizen Action Party | 3,917 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| Fueguian People's Movement (MOPOF) | 3,731 | 0.02 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Movement for the Recovery of the Republic | 3,182 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Popular Participation Party | 3,136 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Movement for Everyone | 2,977 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Fuegian Federal Party | 2,828 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | New People | 2,783 | 0.02 | — | — | |
| Federal Party (PF) | 2,674 | 0.02 | — | — | ||
| Action for the Republic (AR) | 2,380 | 0.02 | — | 1 | ||
| Conservative People's Party (PCP) | 2,069 | 0.01 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Revolutionary Socialist League | 2,015 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Río Gallegos Neighborhood Movement | 1,961 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | White Party of Buenos Aires City | 1,868 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Front of the Workers, the Unemployed and the Retirees for the Union of Buenos Aires City | 1,702 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Republican Reconstruction Party | 1,628 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | New Social Hope | 1,579 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Independents for Change | 1,509 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Republican Integration Circle | 1,421 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=grey | Provincial Defense - White Flag | 1,388 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Party of the Current | 1,280 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Socialist Convergence | 1,003 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Front of the People | 590 | 0.00 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Populist Unification | 439 | 0.00 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Patriotic Liberation Movement | 419 | 0.00 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=grey | Front of Social Integration for a Change in Freedom (FISCAL) | Did not run | — | 1 | ||
| Total | 15,729,072 | 100 | 130 | 257 | ||
| align=left colspan=2 | Positive votes | 15,729,072 | 85.55 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Blank votes | 2,419,921 | 13.16 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Invalid votes | 237,200 | 1.29 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Total votes | 18,386,193 | 100 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Registered voters/turnout | 25,578,509 | 71.88 | |||
| Party | Votes | % | Seats won | Total seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justicialist Party (PJ) | 1,849,466 | 40.51 | 12 | 41 | ||
| Radical Civic Union (UCR) | 712,289 | 15.60 | 5 | 23 | ||
| Socialist Party (PS) | 430,216 | 9.42 | 1 | 1 | ||
| New Front | 348,079 | 7.62 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Alternative for a Republic of Equals (ARI) | 218,202 | 4.78 | — | — | ||
| Recreate for Growth (Recrear) | 180,082 | 3.94 | — | — | ||
| Republican Force (FR) | 142,422 | 3.12 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Front of Everyone (Corrientes) (PJ + UCR) | 125,147 | 2.74 | 2 | |||
| New Party (PANU) | 102,776 | 2.25 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) | 73,073 | 1.60 | — | — | ||
| Corrientes Project | 69,207 | 1.52 | — | — | ||
| United Left (IU) | 62,816 | 1.38 | — | — | ||
| Humanist Party (PH) | 34,575 | 0.76 | — | — | ||
| Liberal Party of Corrientes (PLCo) | 33,972 | 0.74 | — | — | ||
| Labor Party of Tucumán | 29,451 | 0.65 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Democratic Renewal | 21,233 | 0.47 | — | — | |
| Workers' Party (PO) | 20,903 | 0.46 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | White Party | 13,545 | 0.30 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=orange | Social Pole | 12,554 | 0,27 | — | — | |
| Chubut Action Party (PACH) | 12,519 | 0.27 | — | — | ||
| Socialist Workers' Party (PTS) | 11,771 | 0.26 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | People First | 10,447 | 0.23 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | New Party of Solidary Action | 9,975 | 0.22 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Broad Front of Work and Production | 8,437 | 0.18 | — | — | |
| Christian Democratic Party (PDC) | 6,330 | 0.14 | — | — | ||
| People's Reconstruction Party (PPR) | 5,379 | 0.12 | — | — | ||
| Movement for Dignity and Independence (MODIN) | 3,719 | 0.08 | — | — | ||
| Authentic Socialist Party (PSA) | 3,218 | 0.07 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Popular Participation Party | 3,053 | 0.07 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | New People | 2,747 | 0.06 | — | — | |
| Autonomist Party | 2,568 | 0.06 | — | — | ||
| bgcolor=grey | Provincial Defense - White Flag | 1,513 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Patriotic Movement | 1,317 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Republican Integration Circle | 1,302 | 0.03 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Populist Unification | 419 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Patriotic Liberation Movement | 413 | 0.01 | — | — | |
| Salta Renewal Party (PRS) | Did not run | — | 1 | |||
| Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) | Did not run | — | 2 | |||
| Total | 4,565,135 | 100 | 24 | 72 | ||
| align=left colspan=2 | Positive votes | 4,565,135 | 84.85 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Blank votes | 726,039 | 13.49 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Invalid votes | 89,272 | 1.66 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Total votes | 5,380,446 | 100 | |||
| align=left colspan=2 | Registered voters/turnout | 7,779,040 | 69.17 | |||
Provincial officials in all districts except Corrientes Province, were elected, as well as the Chief of Government of the City of Buenos Aires. The Justicialist Party wrested two governorships from the UCR (Chubut and Entre Ríos Provinces), and the UCR recovered Tierra del Fuego from the Justicialists.[7]
| District | Elected Governor | Party | % | Runner-up | Party | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43.3 | 13.3 | ||||||
| Civic Social Front (UCR) | 50.8 | Luis Barrionuevo | Justicialist Front | 43.5 | |||
| UCR | 53.4 | 40.9 | |||||
| Justicialist | 45.6 | José Lizurume L | UCR | 41.2 | |||
| City of Buenos Aires1 | Aníbal Ibarra R | 53.5 | 46.5 | ||||
| José Manuel de la Sota R | Justicialist | 51.8 | UCR | 37.2 | |||
| Justicialist | 44.6 | Sergio Varisco | 34.4 | ||||
| Gildo Insfrán R | Justicialist | 71.8 | Gabriel Hernández | 24.4 | |||
| Eduardo Fellner R | Justicialist | 55.8 | UCR | 35.2 | |||
| Justicialist | 49.1 | Francisco Torroba | 25.5 | ||||
| Ángel Maza R | Justicialist | 55.4 | Jorge Yoma | 43.4 | |||
| UCR | 42.9 | Guillermo Amstutz | Justicialist | 35.7 | |||
| Carlos Rovira R | Renewal Front | 47.9 | Justicialist | 32.4 | |||
| Jorge Sobisch R | 56.1 | Aldo Duzdevich | Justicialist | 19.9 | |||
| UCR | 32.6 | Julio Arriaga | Great Front | 20.4 | |||
| Juan Carlos Romero R | Justicialist | 49.7 | 24.4 | ||||
| Justicialist | 41.4 | Life and Commitment Front | 30.8 | ||||
| Justicialist | 90.1 | Marcelo Shortrede | Fatherland and Family Movement | 5.5 | |||
| Justicialist | 70.9 | Anselmo Martínez | 27.9 | ||||
| Justicialist | 43.2 | 38.3 | |||||
| Santiago del Estero2 | Mercedes Aragonés de Juárez R | Justicialist | 68.1 | UCR | 13.0 | ||
| UCR | 52.8 | Carlos Manfredotti L | Justicialist | 47.2 | |||
| Justicialist | 44.4 | Esteban Jerez | Union for Tucumán | 25.8 | |||
| ---- 1: The City of Buenos Aires is not a province but an autonomous federal territory. The head of the local Executive is referred to as "Government Chief." 2: Election held September 15, 2002. R: Reelected. L: Incumbent lost. | |||||||