City elections: Winners and losers from a dramatic night

President Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza coalition secured a stunning victory on Sunday that gives it real momentum heading into October. 

PRO suffered its worst defeat since taking power in Buenos Aires City almost two decades ago, while Peronism finished second, banking more than a quarter of all votes in the capital in the process.

On Sunday, voters in Buenos Aires City chose 30 new lawmakers to renew half the seats in the City Legislature. It was an election that sent a clear message at both the local and national level.

Winners

Manuel Adorni
Milei’s top presidential spokesperson took charge of La Libertad Avanza’s candidacy and delivered a win, with a better result than anticipated. The decision to “nationalise the vote” and take on PRO in its stronghold was brave – and it worked.

Javier Milei
The President celebrated his first local victory with a fully libertarian candidate at the top of the ticket. He cancelled a trip to Rome to oversee the election and join Adorni in the celebrations – a decision that paid off handsomely. The result gives him political breathing room, strengthens his power base and reinforces support for his administration.

Karina Milei
The President’s sister has cemented her role as the key organiser within the movement. She designed the campaign strategy – and nailed it with Adorni’s candidacy. The so-called “iron triangle,” formed of the two Mileis and top presidential advisor Santiago Caputo, is stronger than ever.

Horacio Rodríguez Larreta
Former Buenos Aires City mayor surprised with a respectable vote tally and fourth place, despite few resources or no political machinery behind him. From his bunker, he declared: “We’re back” – those remarks may be pre-emptive, but he has indicated that he retains support after his failed presidential run.

Losers

Silvia Lospennato
Lospennato, a national deputy for Buenos Aires Province, agreed to run in Buenos Aires City without changing her official residence. Not the first pick for the role, she failed to gain traction and has become the visible face of PRO’s defeat, damaging her good reputation. She was not helped by her party elders, who failed to whip up enthusiasm in a series of strange public relations appearances.

Mauricio Macri
The former president led PRO’s campaign but failed to beat Milei. In the days leading up to the vote, he came under fire from the La Libertad Avanza leader and was the victim of a fake video that circulated online as part of dirty campaigning. The result has set off alarm bells ahead of 2027 and placed a question-mark over Macri’s role moving forward.

Jorge Macri
The current mayor of Buenos Aires City pushed for split elections in an attempt to hurt his rivals – but instead, it ended up helping them. He delivered PRO’s worst-ever result in the capital since it came to power almost two decades ago.

Leandro Santoro
A national deputy for Unión por la Patria, Santoro ran the election while distancing himself from the traditional leaders of the traditional Partido Justicialista, among them a host of Peronist heavyweights. The fragmented field worked against him and though he finished respectable second, he will be disappointed not to have finished in first, as some polls predicted.

Ramiro Marra
Libertarian City lawmaker tried to run without full backing from LLA after his controversial expulsion. He fell short of the electoral threshold and lost his seat to left-wingers in the form of the Frente de Izquierda y de los Trabajadores – Unidad.