Elections in La Pampa: radicalism celebrates Berhongaray’s victory over PRO and prepares to face Ziliotto

(From Santa Rosa, La Pampa – Special Envoy) The radical Martín Berhongaray won the primary elections in La Pampa, with 56% of the vote, and became the candidate of Together for Change (JxC) who will compete in the general elections on May 14 against Governor Sergio Ziliotto, who is seeking election . The national deputy won in the internal opposition against Martín Maquieyra, the PRO candidate, who obtained 43% of the votes. The province also elected candidates for mayors, provincial legislators and councillors.

It was the first election of the year and the radical triumph had a strong symbolic importance in JvC’s internal candidacy at the national level. The UCR and the PRO are going through a moment of turmoil and discussions on the presidential and provincial candidacies. Both sides looked to win today to add a bean inside. The winner was radicalism, and a group of national leaders from the Centenary Party traveled to La Pampa to accompany Berhongaray.

“It is a personal satisfaction and it is a very important result for the radicalism of La Pampa and at the national level which has long sought to redefine its role at the national level and to exercise a greater role within the coalition”, estimated the UCR. candidate in dialogue with Infobase.

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For his part, Lousteau celebrated the triumph of Berhongaray and assured that he was “convinced” that the Pampean “will be the next governor” of the province. Regarding the detainee with the PRO at the national level, the national senator analyzed before GlobeLiveMedia: “Sometimes things get too tense in the primaries, but in La Pampa the rules of the game were clear. Berhongaray did not want to stain the provincial stage with national things. That is why we only came at the closing, and during the first electoral test, the citizens chose a radical candidate”. Regarding the internal candidacy for JxC, Lousteau assured that “the UCR is there to lead the coalition”.

The PRO faces internal disagreements between the tough sector, referenced by Mauricio Macri and Patricia Bullrich, and that led by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. In any case, the yellow party had lined up behind Maquieyra in La Pampa. The Pampean election had been nationalized in recent weeks. Macri, Rodríguez Larreta, Bullrich and María Eugenia Vidal marched through the province in support of Maquieyra.

For radicalism Lousteau, Morales, Rodrigo De Loredo and Yacobitti. they did the same with the UCR candidate. While Facundo Manes sent a video of support. To close the campaign, the leaders of the white berets traveled to Santa Rosa to support Berhongaray.

Being an internal exam that only JxC participated in, as Peronism has a unit roster and will compete directly in May, the exam was nimble. Polling stations closed at 6:00 p.m. By 7:00 p.m. Sunday, the Provincial Committee on Pellegrini Street already knew there was a big winning trend. Especially for the results in Santa Rosa. A few minutes later, the numbers of General Pico, favorable to the UCR, finished consolidating the radical victory.

Minutes after 7:00 p.m., in the halls of the radical headquarters in La Pampa, it was reported that the national leaders of the UCR were on their way to Santa Rosa to celebrate with Berhongaray. The national deputy of La Pampa is part of the Evolution bloc of the Lower House. This is the space directed by Lousteau, whose main owner is the national deputy Yacobitti.

Before 8:00 p.m., the Provincial Committee took on a festive atmosphere and the Pampean co-religionists set up a small stage on the sidewalk. Last sign that the victory against the PRO was irreversible. At 8:10 p.m., Lousteau was the first to arrive in Santa Rosa, accompanied by Yacobitti and his communications team. Willy Hoerth, Gerardo Morales’ campaign manager, also arrived with them. The governor of Jujuy and presidential candidate of the UCR could not go there and sent his bishop to La Pampa.

Meanwhile, at the local PRO headquarters on Pedro Luro Street, the leaders were waiting inside for Maquieyra to arrive. The national deputy of the yellow party is from General Pico and was waiting for the results in this city. Once the defeat was known, the PRO candidate congratulated Berhongaray and went to his bunker in Santa Rosa. A few minutes before 9:00 p.m., the head of the PRO approached the Provincial Committee to greet and take a photo with the inmate winner.

“I congratulate Martín Berhongaray for the choice he made. The best thing is that we were able to overcome the internal dialogue and now more than ever together to win on May 14,” Maquieyra said in dialogue with GlobeLiveMedia. Regarding the reason why they lost the detainee, the PRO leader considered: “There is an interesting point in the three lists that the UCR had in General Pico, which gave them a greater flow ; we expected to win in this city and we were very balanced. In Santa Rosa, we knew it was going to be very difficult”.

In turn, those who also hailed Berhongaray for the victory were Manes, Cornejo, Mario Negri, De Loredo. Through the PRO, Rodríguez Larreta, Patricia Bullrich and Vidal communicated and left their congratulations.

During yesterday’s session nearly 10% of a register of 238,000 eligible voters voted. Most congregate in Santa Rosa and General Pico, towns that make up 70% of the provincial registry. The UCR has established itself in cities like Sainte Rose, Eduardo Castex and other villages in the interior. He also made a good choice at General Pico, where the PRO hoped to win.

Meanwhile, Maquieyra won in the north of the province, in towns such as General Alvear, Realicó and in some interior towns, such as Cariló and 25 de Mayo. Something that contributed in favor of radicalism was the strategy of having collection lists in the municipalities of various places. This tactic allowed him to push Berhongaray’s candidacy.

On May 14, the general elections will take place, where the radical candidate will face Governor Sergio Ziliotto, who is seeking re-election. Peronism has ruled the province since 1983 without interruption. JxC just won the 2021 legislatures, but he knows the electoral logic in an executive election is different. However, UCR and PRO will join forces in the search to hit La Pampa.

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