Legislative elections were held in Argentina for half the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third (24) of the seats in the Senate on 28 June 2009, as well as for the legislature of the City of Buenos Aires and other municipalities.Argentina adopts early congressional election, Associated Press, 27 March 2009.

Background The elections were due to have been held on 25 October 2009. In March 2009, the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, moved to bring forward the date of elections to the Buenos Aires City Legislature to June 28, saying that it would increase transparency and democratic quality.Macri dispuso que se vote dos veces: el 28 de junio será la primera , infobae.com, 13 March 2009. Opposition figures criticised the decision, suggesting Macri was attempting to consolidate his power in the city, and building the career of his deputy, Gabriela Michetti, expected to head the list for Macri's coalition in the election.La oposición salió a criticar duro a Macri por desdoblar las elecciones, Clarín, 12 March 2009. Similar changes to the election date had been introduced in the provinces of Santa Fe and Catamarca (March 2009).Catamarca desdobla sus comicios, parlamentario.com, 31 December 2008. Accessed 27 March 2009.Binner decidió que las elecciones se desdoblen en la provincia, Rafaela.com, 18 February 2009. Accessed 27 March 2009.

Despite the criticism by politicians from Government ranks that Macri had abused the process by unilaterally changing the election date, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced that she too would be introducing legislation to move the date of national elections forward by four months, to June 28. Despite great debate and the defections of some Peronist legislators, the proposal passed its Congressional stages quickly and the date was successfully changed. The Government claimed it would allow politicians to leave behind campaigning priorities and focus on tackling the ongoing local effect of the international financial crisis. Equally controversial was a decision by Front for Victory leader Néstor Kirchner (the current President's husband and predecessor) to advance stand-in candidates - prominent local lawmakers (notably Buenos Aires Province Governor Daniel Scioli, as well as 15 Greater Buenos Aires-area mayors) who, after the election, would be likely to cede their new seats to down-ticket names.Clarín

The elections resulted in a setback for the governing, center-left Front for Victory and its allies, which lost their absolute majorities in both houses of Congress.BBC News Former President Néstor Kirchner stood as head of his party list in the important Buenos Aires Province. Kirchner's list was defeated, however, by the center-right Republican Proposal (PRO) list headed by businessman Francisco de Narváez; the loss in Buenos Aires Province, though narrow, is significant as the province has been considered a Peronist stronghold and had helped maintain Kirchnerism as the dominant force in Argentine politics since 2003. Buenos Aires Vice Mayor Gabriela Michetti stood as head of the PRO list for the Lower House, and defeated four other prominent parties; the evening's surprise in Buenos Aires, however, was that of filmmaker Fernando Solanas' left-wing Proyecto Sur, which obtained second place.Clarín Infografía

The Kirchners' leading opposition on the center-left, the Civic Coalition, also made significant gains – particularly in the Senate, where they gained 7 seats. The Front for Victory had already lost 16 Lower House members and 4 Senators on the heels of the 2008 Argentine government conflict with the agricultural sector over a proposed rise in export tariffs. The crisis was defused by Vice President Julio Cobos' surprise, tie-breaking vote against them on July 16, 2008; but fallout from the controversy led to the President's distancing from Cobos (who successfully supported his own party list in his native Mendoza Province), a sharp drop in presidential approval ratings, and the aforementioned congressional defections. One especially successful ex-Kirchnerist was Santa Fe Province Senator Carlos Reutemann, who after the agrarian conflict formed Santa Fe Federal. His new party narrowly bested local Socialist Party leader Rubén Giustiniani, who would garner one of Santa Fe's three Senate seats. The Front for Victory retained a plurality in both houses, however (they will, with two allies, be one seat short of an absolute majority in the Senate).

Results Chamber of Deputies

Results by province

ProvinceACySFPVFederal Peronism/PROOthers Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsBuenos Aires 1,613,037 21.468 2,418,725 32.18122,667,12735.4913 816,404 10.862Buenos Aires City 391,206 21.503 211,277 11.611572,08531.435 645,339 35.464Catamarca58,75838.962 50,489 33.471 31,370 20.80— 10,217 6.77—Chaco 229,045 44.482257,14749.932——— 28,789 5.59—Chubut 59,948 25.18—132,81855.802——— 45,272 19.02—Córdoba954,01457.096 151,753 9.081 448,544 26.842 116,805 6.99—Corrientes296,95968.472 111,508 25.711——— 25,260 5.82—Entre Ríos268,21040.623 231,899 35.122 125,740 19.04— 34,406 5.21—Formosa 81,126 35.671146,32864.331——————Jujuy 87,081 30.941118,23342.002 45,873 16.30— 30,297 10.76—La Pampa 63,156 35.531 5,900 3.32—79,54844.752 29,138 16.39—La Rioja 51,598 32.90184,02853.571 17,395 11.09— 3,832 2.44—Mendoza454,31552.173 234,441 26.921 131,846 15.141 50,170 5.76—Misiones 51,867 11.74—286,10464.762 81,186 18.381 22,653 5.13—Neuquén 82,224 30.821 59,293 22.22— 9,457 3.54—115,81543.412Río Negro 163,295 58.99186,95731.411——— 26,566 9.60—Salta 23,763 4.85—206,62542.141 198,665 40.522 61,229 12.49—San Juan 48,529 15.11—184,91257.562 60,796 18.931 26,994 8.40—San Luis 53,539 27.66— 30,969 16.00—102,14952.763 6,939 3.58—Santa Cruz53,20942.572 51,427 41.141——— 20,360 16.29—Santa Fe 672,351 39.814 162,615 9.631673,38239.874 180,647 10.70—Santiago del Estero 42,623 13.66—243,48878.043 9,611 3.08— 16,275 5.22—Tierra del Fuego 14,873 24.42—15,84426.011——— 30,197 49.571Tucumán 112,182 15.561381,10952.873 93,064 12.91— 134,462 18.65— Total 5,926,908 30.21 42 5,863,889 29.89 42 5,347,838 27.26 34 2,478,066 12.63 9

Senate

Results by province ProvinceACySFederal Peronism/PROFPVOthers Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsCatamarca58,91738.972 31,572 20.88— 50,650 33.501 10,037 6.64—Chubut 59,101 24.731———133,75855.982 46,099 19.29—Córdoba958,15457.323 455,537 27.25— 146,163 8.74— 111,713 6.68—Corrientes299,66468.363——— 110,857 25.29— 27,855 6.35—La Pampa 62,550 34.78181,33945.232 5,546 3.08— 30,405 16.91—Mendoza451,41052.122 129,708 14.98— 235,962 27.251 48,961 5.65—Santa Fe 693,766 40.571724,06642.342 132,935 7.77— 159,488 9.33—Tucumán 116,437 15.921 96,492 13.19—382,16852.252 136,380 18.64— Total 2,699,999 45.09 14 1,518,714 25.36 4 1,198,039 20.01 6 570,938 9.54 0

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