Buenos Aires elects a new mayor: Jorge Macri leads in the runoff dynamics
The center-right Together for Change coalition has its nominee, Jorge Macri, positioned to become the next head of government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The tally from the initial round showed Macri ahead, with Leandro Santoro trailing and Ramiro Marra from La Libertad Avanza finishing third. The results triggered expectations of a runoff scenario, already anticipated by observers and political analysts across the nation.
A message circulated on social media from the Unión por la Patria coalition, aligned with Peronism, indicated Santoro had interpreted the early results as a realistic read of the election landscape. He described the immediate aftermath as a moment to recalibrate and focus on strengthening the economy minister’s stance to secure a second round and push for broader national leadership in the presidency. The post emphasized a commitment to building an alternative political path in the city and the country.
The campaign narrative in the capital emphasized momentum for Macri, who secured 49.61 percent in an interim, non-binding review conducted by the city administration. Santoro trailed with around 32.30 percent, while Ramiro Marra drew attention from the far-right, finishing with roughly 13.89 percent. Analysts noted the narrow margins as a sign that the election remains highly competitive and that turnout and coalition cohesion will be decisive in the second round.
Santoro publicly thanked the nearly 600,000 residents who supported his candidacy in the first round and suggested the result would propel his group to continue offering an alternative to the current political approach. The statement underscored a commitment to maintaining a strong urban policy platform and a willingness to engage with like-minded factions across the political spectrum.
Buenos Aires, a major urban center and the fourth electoral district in Argentina, has long been governed by center-right leadership since 2007, a period that includes the administration of Mauricio Macri, who later became president. When Macri’s term as mayor ended in 2015 after two consecutive terms, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta assumed the office and has remained in charge since then.
Both Macri and his cousin, who is a key national political figure, pursued national leadership roles after their tenure in city government. Macri ultimately presided over the country from 2015 to 2019. Rodríguez Larreta later ran in the Together for Change bid for the presidency, competing against Patricia Bullrich, though the race did not concede victory in that cycle.
With the city’s political landscape continuing to evolve, a new member of the Macri family appears in a leadership position whose responsibilities resemble those of regional governors in Argentina. The candidate, a 58-year-old businessman, previously served as a state deputy and mayor in Vicente López, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, positioning him as a prominent figure in local governance debates. The city constitution requires residents to have lived in Buenos Aires within the last five years as well as to be born in the capital; the high court ultimately approved his inclusion on the electoral lists, despite debates about eligibility.
Following the initial results, Macri thanked the coalition partners within Together for Change for their support, while acknowledging that governance with a fully unified front had not yet materialized. He emphasized a pledge to defend the achievements of the past sixteen years and to continue pursuing policy measures aimed at strengthening urban governance, safety, and economic stability in the city.
The election has set the stage for a second round that will determine the political trajectory of Argentina’s capital during a period of dynamic national political contest. Analysts will be watching coalition alliances, voter turnout, and the capacity of the leading candidates to expand their governance coalitions beyond core supporters. The city’s voters remain central to the national conversation about leadership and policy direction in the coming years.
As the campaign unfolds, residents and political observers alike will assess how the candidates’ plans align with the city’s needs—ranging from fiscal resilience and municipal services to inclusive growth and housing initiatives—while the broader national context shapes the strategies of both blocs in the race for the presidency and beyond.