A leftist history teacher and a center-right veterinarian will duel for the presidency of Uruguay next month after topping the first round of elections Sunday, projections based on partial results showed. Yamandu Orsi of iconic ex-president Jose Mujica's Frente Amplio and Alvaro Delgado of the ruling center-right coalition of outgoing president Luis Lacalle Pou will face off in the November 24 election run-off, the projections showed. Orsi, 57, who was the favorite going into the election, garnered 43.
2 percent of the vote, compared to 28 percent for 55-year-old Delgado, the Canal 10 channel reported, citing estimates from Equipos Consultores pollsters. Another television station, the Canal 12 channel, put Orsi on 44 percent and Delgado on 27 percent, citing the Cifra polling firm. A second round of voting is held when no candidate wins an outright majority of over 50 percent.
Orsi and Delgado beat out nine other candidates bidding to replace Lacalle Pou, who has a 50 percent approval rating but is barred from seeking a second consecutive five-year term. Lawyer and TV pundit Andres Ojeda, 40, who compared himself to Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei, placed third on 15.5-16 percent, the projections showed.
The Electoral Court is expected to release final results in the early hours of Monday. A victory for Orsi in the run-off would see Uruguay swing back to the left after five years of conservative rule. The Frente Amplio held the presidency for three straight ter.