The national deputy Martin Brehongaray (UCR) prevailed against Martin Maquieyra (PRO) by more than 13 points of advantage and was consecrated candidate for governor of La Pampa for Together for Change (JxC) for the elections on May 14, in the internal ones that took place this Sunday in the province, which were marked by the apathy of the electorate, since close to 15 percent of the total provincial register voted.
With 85.96 percent of the tables counted, Berhongaray and Patricia Testa emerged as the formula of the opposition coalition for the provincial elections in Mayby defeating Maquieyra and Josefina Díaz, in the inmates of the opposition front.
“This election has transcended the borders of La Pampa. It is very important for radicalism at the national level and above all to fire a shot by elevation: the importance and the need for this party to be in the foreground, to have a leading role within the coalition and national politics,” said Berhongaray before entering the Provincial Committee of the UCR for the festivities.
“This victory is the result of the work that we carry out with great seriousness and rectitude, in all these years, and this has been reflected, with a massive accompaniment, in different locations in the province. It is the product of teamwork that I have been doing individually and collectively,” he added.
Maquieyra even approached the radical headquarters to express his support for the winners and advance the accompaniment for the general elections on May 14.
The result in La Pampa, which marks the triumph of radicalism over PROalso has its national implication within the internship of Together for Change: the presence of Senator Martin Lousteau and the national deputy Emiliano Yacobitti in the Pampean capital for the festivities they demonstrated it.
“I want to congratulate Martín Berhongaray, the radical party and Together for Change. It was a very interesting primary that just consecrated the best candidate. The citizens said so. La Pampa has a luxury candidate, with a lot of conviction and character. In Congress we work together and you can see the rigor and seriousness of their work,” said the radical senator through a press release.
From La Pampa, Lousteau maintained that Berhongaray “is a candidate for governor for these times, without marketing, honest, with knowledge of a lot of technical issues and who knows his province as few candidates can say they do.”
Berhongaray also received greetings from the president of the UCR, Gerardo Moralesof the national deputy for Buenos Aries, Facundo Manes and, on behalf of the PRO, the head of the Buenos Aires Government, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta.
The transformation began in La Pampa! Congratulations dear co-religionists @MBerhongaray and Patricia Testa for this great triumph of radicalism in the PASO.
We have a united and mobilized party, willing to strengthen JxC even more to transform La Pampa and the country.
— Gerardo Morales (@GerardoMorales) February 12, 2023
“The transformation in La Pampa has begun! Congratulations dear co-religionists @MBerhongaray and Patricia Testa for this great triumph of radicalism in the PASO,” Morales posted tonight on his Twitter account.
“We have a united and mobilized party, willing to strengthen Together for Change even more to transform La Pampa and the country,” he added.
From the PRO, Rodríguez Larreta congratulated the winner and Maquieyra for the election of Together for Change and called “to work together to transform the province.”
With 661 of the 769 tables counted (85.96%), Berhongaray’s List A 501 obtained 13,324 votes (56.51%), compared to 10,253 (43.49%) for Martín Maquieyra’s List B 502,
Good @martinmaquieyra and @mberhongaray! Together we will transform the Pampa. pic.twitter.com/dVMuOH1yw2
— Horacio Rodríguez Larreta (@horaciorlarreta) February 13, 2023
Besides2,333 people voted blank and 139 null votes were registered.
Also in Santa Rosa, the Berhongaray candidate prevailed over that of Maquieyra: Francisco Torroba, who was mayor between 2008 and 2011, obtained 54.45% of the votes against the PRO candidate, Martín Ardohain, who reached 32.15%; and the radical Federico Roitmam, who reaped 13.40%.
In General Pico, the candidate for mayor of the Maquieyra list, Adriana García, won the election for the mayor with 39.45% of the votes, compared to the three lists presented by radicalism, where Jorge Amato reached 25 14% of the votes, Juan Pablo Vieta 19.03% of Juan Pablo Vieta and Juan Carlos Passo 16.37%
The sum of votes of the three radical lists that lost to García, gave the victory to Martín Berhongaray in General Pico, Maquieyra’s bastion.
#Elections2023 ? Internal in La Pampa: the PRO candidate admitted his defeat and congratulated the radical Berhongarayhttps://t.co/NGSa85hmpQ
– Telam Agency (@AgenciaTelam) February 13, 2023
The central expectation of this Sunday’s election was placed on the dispute over the formula for the governorship of Together for Change, since in the ruling Peronism there was a consensus to nominate Governor Sergio Ziliotto for re-election.
Pampean elections are mandatory for forces that have more than one list, but voting is optional. In addition, affiliates can only participate in the internal ones of their party, while independent voters can do so in whichever they want.
On January 3, six lists for the governorship were made official, and only JxC defined their candidacies in an internal session this Sunday.
The other five formulas go directly to the general election on May 14, in which the Pampeano Justicialista Front postulates Ziliotto for re-election accompanied by provincial deputy Alicia Mayoral; the Left Front and Workers-Unity, the leader of ATE Luciano González with Sofía Mercedes Fernández.
Likewise, Desde el Pie postulates the provincial health official Claudio Alejandro Acosta with María Laura González, the Pampean Federalist Movement the former provincial deputy Héctor Fazzini with Sonia Analía Wisner and the Organized Community the former mayor of Santa Rosa Juan Carlos Tierno, dismissed after 87 days in March 2008 and later sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence for abuse of authority.
Congratulations to @MBerhongaray and his team for the result. Thanks to all the pampeanos who voted today.
Martín is a great candidate to represent @togetherchange in La Pampa and be the next governor. This is the first step. We are going to renew JxC throughout Argentina. pic.twitter.com/KfKgSHug79— Martin Lousteau (@GugaLusto) February 13, 2023
