Argentina’s ‘Historic Event’ Election Set for November Runoff Vote

Front runners Javier Milei and Sergio Massa face second vote as economic crisis and international relations hang in the balance.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - OCTOBER 22: Presidential candidate for La Libertad Avanza Javier Milei waves supporters after the general elections on October 22, 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to official results, presidential candidate for Union Por La Patria Sergio Massa has 36,50% of the votes and presidential candidate for La Libertad Avanza Javier Milei 30,09%, with 95,54% of the voting counted. Massa and Milei will compete in the presidential runoff on November 19, 2023. The presidential election to succeed Alberto Fernandez comes as Argentinians have been hard hit by an annual 124% inflation and over 40% of the population is considered to be living in poverty. Photo by Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

Argentina’s current economic minister, Sergio Massa, and political underdog Javier Milei will face off in a presidential runoff on Nov. 19.

In the Oct. 22 voting, Mr. Massa secured 36.7 percent of the popular vote, while Mr. Milei came in at 30 percent. Mr. Massa has presided over the worst period of economic decline in Argentina in decades, which left some locals stunned that he wasn’t beaten by the firebrand economist in the first round.