Legislative elections were held in Argentina on 14 March 1965. Voters chose their legislators with a turnout of 84%.

Background The exiled populist leader, Juan Perón, continued to set the electoral agenda. The economy had recovered vigorously from the 1962-63 recession, and this only seemed to deprive voters and the media of a distraction away from speculation as to what steps Perón might take next to return to Argentina. This issue was highlighted by his failed December 1964 attempt to arrive in Buenos Aires - thwarted almost by accident. His still-sizable Peronist base, in turn, were divided between those who felt his return was critical to their political future, and those who sought alternatives. One of the most successful projects to these ends was the Popular Union (UP), a party founded within days of Perón's violent, September 1955 overthrow. Its founder, Juan Atilio Bramuglia, had been a close advisor of Perón's since the birth of the movement, in 1945. Bramuglia had been unable, however, to obtain support for the idea from Perón himself, who favored electoral alliances. Bramuglia died in 1962; but the failure of one such alliance in 1963 provided Popular Union supporters with their first realistic chance to represent the aging leader.El primer peronismo sin Perón

The president, Dr. Arturo Illia, faced immediate pressure from the military and other anti-peronists to bar the Popular Union from fielding any candidates; but the moderate Illia refused. The adoption of the UP mantle by Steelworkers' leader Augusto Vandor defied Perón's call for open conflict with the Illia administration, moreover. The issue of the UP divided Vandor and his allies in the CGT from the CGT Secretary General, José Alonso, and his allies (including Andrés Framini, who had run on the UP ticket in 1962 and won, only to have the elections annulled). Vandor's very prominence made him the UP's paramount figure, and by extension, the first viable Peronist alternative to Perón in the movement's twenty years of existence.

Despite fears this might trigger a coup, the elections proceeded on schedule. President Illia's centrist UCR did not benefit from economic growth, and they lost 4 seats. Former President Pedro Aramburu's anti-peronist UDELPA benefited even less from Perón's barely thwarted return, and they lost half their 14 seats. Former President Arturo Frondizi's MID, which had been barred from running by conservative opposition in 1963, picked up 16 seats in its first electoral test. This was significant because the MID had bested his former party, the UCRI (with which he had parted ways in 1963). The UCRI was left with but 11 of its 40 seats, the result of losing both Frondizi's and Perón's erstwhile support. Most of these seats went to the Popular Union, which gained 44. Its leader, Dr. Rodolfo Tecera del Franco, was elected vice president of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.Todo Argentina: 1965

The 1965 elections were a notable accomplishment for President Illia, who had stopped military interference against them without it immediately costing him the presidency.

Results

Results by province ProvincePopular UnionUCRPCenter PartiesMIDOther PeronistsOthers Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % SeatsBuenos Aires1,358,65141.1214 970,701 29.389 180,444 5.461 114,884 3.481 19,847 0.600 659,293 19.961Buenos Aires City 549,057 33.698552,67833.918 58,876 3.610 54,808 3.360 5,432 0.330 409,009 25.092Chaco80,93043.542 60,220 32.401 7,441 4.000 15,127 8.140——— 22,138 11.910Chubut 16,545 33.59117,03534.591——— 3,608 7.330 5,125 10.410 6,940 14.090Córdoba357,54438.755 339,039 36.754 69,454 7.530 37,687 4.080 9,007 0.980 109,886 11.910Corrientes 45,212 18.890 14,308 5.980156,35465.325—————— 23,507 9.820Entre Ríos 18,602 4.850123,36932.142 29,989 7.810 60,117 15.661 97,044 25.281 54,720 14.260La Pampa32,48840.321 17,356 21.540——— 22,037 27.351——— 8,700 10.800Mendoza 16,199 4.740 87,666 25.651104,12030.461 9,275 2.710 97,705 28.591 26,826 7.850Neuquén——— 9,395 23.450——— 2,968 7.41021,05252.552 6,649 16.600Río Negro——— 20,600 29.841 1,966 2.850 4,777 6.92028,15840.791 13,531 19.600San Juan 25,643 15.210 28,357 16.821 3,215 1.910 2,359 1.400 4,806 2.850104,18361.812San Luis 19,700 23.370 8,603 10.21028,94334.341——— 23,297 27.641 3,752 4.450Santa Cruz3,70725.931 2,649 24.030 695 4.860 719 5.030 306 2.140 6,220 43.511Santa Fe 196,794 20.852274,54729.094 12,790 1.350 198,473 21.032 30,759 3.260 230,573 24.432Santiago del Estero 36,249 19.82160,49233.071 1,884 1.030 9,157 5.010 51,023 27.901 24,091 13.170Tucumán 28,923 9.210 73,922 23.531 4,937 1.570 2,061 0.660120,16038.252 84,164 26.790 Total 2,786,244 31.12 35 2,660,937 29.72 34 661,108 7.38 8 538,057 6.01 5 513,721 5.74 9 1,794,182 20.04 8

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