Argentina's Peronists seal election run-off with libertarian Milei

Victoria Villarruel, running mate of Argentina's presidential candidate Javier Milei, greets supporters outside the campaign headquarters during Argentina's presidential election, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 22, 2023. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's ruling Peronist coalition smashed expectations to lead the country's general election on Sunday, setting the stage for a polarized run-off vote next month between Economy Minister Sergio Massa and far-right libertarian radical Javier Milei.

Massa had around 36% of the vote, ahead of Milei on just over 30%, while conservative Patricia Bullrich was behind on 23.7% with some 80% of the vote counted, a result that defied pre-election polls that had predicted a libertarian win.