# March 1973 Argentine general election

The first Argentine general election of 1973 was held on 11 March. Voters chose both the President and their legislators.

## Background

The 1966 coup d'état against the moderate President Arturo Illia was carried out largely as a reaction to Illia's decision to honor local and legislative elections in which Peronists, officially banned from political activity following the violent overthrow of President Juan Perón in 1955, did well. Five years later, however, President Alejandro Lanusse found himself heading an unpopular junta, saddled by increasing political violence and an economic wind-down from the prosperous 1960s. Seizing the initiative, he gathered leaders from across the nation's political and intellectual spectrum for a July 1971 asado, a time-honored Argentine custom as much about camaraderie as about steak.
The result was Lanusse's "Great National Agreement," a road map to the return to democratic rule, including Peronists (the first such concession the military had made since Perón's 1955 exile). The agreement, however, bore little resemblance to what had been discussed and, instead, proposed virtual veto power for the armed forces over most future domestic and foreign policy. This patently unacceptable condition led most political figures to dismiss the much-touted event as the "Great National Asado," instead.
A year later, President Lanusse made the much-anticipated announcement: elections would be held, nationally, on March 11, 1973. Retaliating for Perón's unequivocal rejection of the 1971 accords, Lanusse limited the field of candidates to those residing in Argentina as of August 25, 1972 - a clear denial of the aging Perón the right to run on his own party's ticket (the likely winners). Perón did return to Argentina, however, on November 17, when, during a month-long stay, he secured the endorsement of prominent figures such as former President Arturo Frondizi of the Integration and Development Movement, Jorge Abelardo Ramos of the Popular Leftist Front (FIP), Popular Conservative Alberto Fonrouge, Christian Democrat Carlos Imbaud, and other, mainly provincial parties. These diverse parties signed on to an umbrella ticket, led by the Justicialist Party and Perón's personal representative in Argentina, Héctor Cámpora. Partly in recognition for their support and to provide a counter-weight to the left-leaning Cámpora, Perón had the Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) nominate for Vice President Popular Conservative leader Vicente Solano Lima, a newspaper publisher respected across most of Argentina's vastly diverse political spectrum.
Given little time to campaign by the calculating Lanusse (who fielded his own candidate, Brigadier General Ezequiel Martínez, for his ad hoc Federal Republican Alliance), the nation's myriad parties jockeyed for alliances and rushed to name candidates. The main opposition, the centrist Radical Civic Union (UCR), put forth their 1958 nominee, former Congressman Ricardo Balbín (head of the party's more conservative wing). Hoping to carry the mantle of those supporting Lanusse, Social Policy Minister Francisco Manrique ran on the Federalist ticket and Américo Ghioldi, who had led a split in the Socialist Party in 1958, ran on his Democratic Socialist slate - refusing (as the traditional Socialists had done) to endorse the Popular Revolutionary Alliance headed by former Governor Oscar Alende (the runner-up in the 1963 election).
The March 11 polls went smoothly and the FREJULI, which needed 50% of the total to avoid a runoff as per Lanusse's agreement, garnered 49.53%. Realizing that the FREJULI was only less than 0,5% short of the agreed threshold, plus having a 28% margin over the runners-up (the UCR), the seasoned Balbín to petition President Lanusse for a waiver of the rule, something he granted, making the FREJULI alliance the winners of the March 11, 1973, election and paving the way for the definitive return of Juan Perón, whom Lanusse, many years later, would admit to being his "life's obsession."

## Candidates

* Justicialist Liberation Front (populist): Former Deputy Héctor Cámpora of Buenos Aires Province
* Radical Civic Union (centrist): Former Deputy Ricardo Balbín of Buenos Aires Province
* Federalist Popular Alliance (conservative): Former Minister of Social Policy Francisco Manrique of Mendoza Province
* Popular Revolutionary Alliance (social democratic): Former Governor Oscar Alende of Buenos Aires Province
* Cámpora
* Balbín
* Manrique
* Alende

## Results
### President

| Presidential candidate | Vice Presidential candidate | Party | Party | Votes | % |
| Héctor José Cámpora | Vicente Solano Lima | | Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) | 5,899,642 | 49.53 |
| Ricardo Balbín | Eduardo Gamond | | Radical Civic Union (UCR) | 2,535,581 | 21.29 |
| Francisco Manrique | Rafael Martínez Raymonda | | Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) | 1,775,767 | 14.91 |
| Oscar Alende | Horacio Sueldo | | Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR) | 885,274 | 7.43 |
| Ezequiel Martínez | Leopoldo Bravo | | Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) | 347,262 | 2.92 |
| Julio Chamizo | Raúl Ondarts | | New Force (NF) | 235,188 | 1.97 |
| Américo Ghioldi | René Balestra | | Democratic Socialist Party (PSD) | 109,068 | 0.92 |
| Juan Carlos Coral | Nora Ciapponi | | Worker's Socialist Party (PST) | 73,799 | 0.62 |
| Jorge Abelardo Ramos | José Silvetti | | Popular Left Front (FIP) | 48,571 | 0.41 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 11,910,152 | 100 |
| Positive votes | Positive votes | Positive votes | Positive votes | 11,910,152 | 97.30 |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | 279,855 | 2.29 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 50,905 | 0.42 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,240,912 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 14,256,991 | 85.86 |
| Source: ||||||

### Chamber of Deputies

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Total Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) | 5,864,683 | 49.11 | 146 |
| | Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) | 4,637,232 | 38.83 | 110 |
| | Integration and Development Movement (MID) | 670,183 | 5.61 | 15 |
| | Justicialist Party (PJ) | 529,487 | 4.43 | 20 |
| | Renewal Crusade | 27,781 | 0.23 | 1 |
| | Radical Civic Union (UCR) | 2,427,130 | 20.33 | 51 |
| | Total Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) | 1,374,504 | 11.51 | 20 |
| | Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) | 964,403 | 8.08 | 14 |
| | Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) | 144,078 | 1.21 | — |
| | Popular Union (UP) | 114,194 | 0.96 | — |
| | Federal Vanguard | 70,706 | 0.59 | 2 |
| | Jujuy Popular Movement (MPJ) | 32,376 | 0.27 | 1 |
| | La Pampa Federalist Movement (MOFEPA) | 32,186 | 0.27 | 2 |
| | Catamarca Popular Movement | 16,561 | 0.14 | 1 |
| | Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR) | 796,705 | 6.67 | 12 |
| | Total Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) | 418,274 | 3.50 | 10 |
| | Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) | 115,238 | 0.97 | — |
| | Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) | 104,312 | 0.87 | 2 |
| | Liberal - Autonomist Pact | 93,958 | 0.79 | 3 |
| | Blockist Party (PB) | 70,801 | 0.59 | 3 |
| | Río Negro Provincial Party (PPR) | 19,555 | 0.16 | 1 |
| | Provincial Popular Movement | 14,410 | 0.12 | 1 |
| | Salta People's Movement | 30,891 | 0.26 | 1 |
| | Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) | 28,898 | 0.24 | 2 |
| | Chubut Action Party (PACh) | 11,976 | 0.10 | 1 |
| | Others | 988,322 | 8.28 | — |
| Total | Total | 11,941,383 | 100 | 243 |
| Positive votes | Positive votes | 11,941,383 | 97.60 | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | 260,830 | 2.13 | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 33,023 | 0.27 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 12,235,236 | 100 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 14,302,497 | 85.55 | |
| Source: |||||

### Senate

| Party | Party | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Total Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) | | | 17 | | | 28 | 45 |
| | Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) | | | 11 | | | 21 | 32 |
| | Integration and Development Movement (MID) | | | — | | | 3 | 3 |
| | Justicialist Party (PJ) | | | 6 | | | 4 | 10 |
| | Renewal Crusade | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Radical Civic Union (UCR) | | | 4 | | | 8 | 12 |
| | Total Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) | | | 3 | | | 2 | 5 |
| | Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Popular Union (UP) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Federal Vanguard | | | 1 | | | — | 1 |
| | Jujuy Popular Movement (MPJ) | | | 1 | | | — | 1 |
| | La Pampa Federalist Movement (MOFEPA) | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Catamarca Popular Movement | | | 1 | | | — | 1 |
| | Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Total Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) | | | — | | | 4 | 4 |
| | Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Liberal - Autonomist Pact | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Blockist Party (PB) | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Río Negro Provincial Party (PPR) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Provincial Popular Movement | | | — | | | 1 | 1 |
| | Salta People's Movement | | | 1 | | | — | 1 |
| | Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) | | | 2 | | | — | 2 |
| | Chubut Action Party (PACh) | | | — | | | — | — |
| | Others | | | — | | | — | — |
| Total | Total | | | 27 | | | 42 | 69 |
| Positive votes | Positive votes | | | | | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | | | | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | | | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | | 100 | | | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | | | | | |

### Provincial Governors

Election of Provincial Governors :
| Elected: 22 provincial governors ||||
| Province | Elected | Party | Map |
| Buenos Aires | Oscar Bidegain | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Catamarca | Hugo Alberto Mott | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Chaco | Deolindo Bittel | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Chubut | Benito Fernández | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Córdoba | Ricardo Obregón Cano | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Corrientes | Julio Romero | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Entre Ríos | Enrique Tomás Cresto | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Formosa | Antenor Argentino Gauna | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Jujuy | Carlos Snopek | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| La Pampa | Aquiles José Regazzoli | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| La Rioja | Carlos Menem | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Mendoza | Alberto Martínez Baca | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Misiones | Juan Manuel Irrazábal | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Neuquén | Felipe Sapag | Neuquén People's Movement | |
| Río Negro | Mario José Franco | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Salta | Miguel Ragone | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| San Juan | Eloy Camus | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| San Luis | Elías Adre | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Santa Cruz | Jorge Cepernic | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Santa Fe | Carlos Sylvestre Begnis | Integration and Development Movement | |
| Santiago del Estero | Carlos Juárez | Justicialist Liberation Front | |
| Tucumán | Amado Juri | Justicialist Liberation Front | |