Peronist list closure: unity, local names, strategy of division

Peronism has managed to unify lists in 16 provinces. In half, the Fuerza Patria banner has managed to bind all the options together, but in other territories unity will carry a different name. 

Santiago del Estero will again present its strategy of dividing forces in order to bag all three senators, while there will be seven provinces with more than one list.

The various components of the Partido Justicialista (PJ), Peronism’s main party, managed to agree on the Fuerza Patria brand for several provinces for this year’s midterms. On October 26, there will be unity under that name in the Federal Capital and the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Catamarca, Chaco, Neuquén, Corrientes and Río Negro.

In San Juan, Entre Ríos, Tucumán, Mendoza, La Rioja, Formosa, Santa Cruz and La Pampa there will also be unity, but under local names. 

Elsewhere they will be running divided – in provinces including Córdoba, San Luis, Misiones, Salta, Tierra del Fuego, Chubut and Jujuy.

One surprising case of unity was Tucumán, where finally there will not be two Peronist lists. The movement will run united under Governor Osvaldo Jaldo, who for the last 18 months has been one of the provincial bosses allied to President Javier Milei and La Libertad Avanza. The Tucumán Primero adds the governor’s followers to Kirchnerism, the Frente Renovador and Frente Grande, among other strands.

In San Juan Province, two former governors José Luis Gioja and Sergio Uñac have registered the Fuerza San Juan label. After some infighting, both agreed on unity and being accompanied by the other Peronist leaders.

In San Luis, the leading Peronists did not manage to reach an agreement. Alberto Rodríguez Saá registered the Movimiento en Acción front, Kirchnerism signed in as Fuerza Patria and Adolfo Rodríguez Saá added the Todos Unidos label.

In Córdoba, Natalia De La Sota presented a different line-up to the Defendamos Córdoba brand with Fuerza Patria on the other side.

Tierra del Fuego is another territory without unity. Fuerza Patria is running as Forja, the party of Governor Gustavo Melella, allied to Kirchnerism but the Movimiento Popular Fueguino will also be presenting its list.

Santiago del Estero is a case apart. Division has to do with a strategy repeated election after election, with the aim of landing all three Senate seats (two for the winner and one for the runner-up).

In Buenos Aires Province and City, the different sectors managed to arrive at unity, including this time groupings like Guillermo Moreno’s Principios y Valores, which ran apart in last May’s City elections. 

Despite the Patria Grande of Juan Grabois registering within the fronts of Santa Fe, Córdoba, San Juan and Río Negro, it has decided to continue negotiating in both Buenos Aires Province and City. His party has remained outside but its names, including his, have still not been ruled out.