Original: On June 12 , 1991 , Yeltsin won 57 % of the popular vote in the democratic elections for the post of president of the Russian SFSR , defeating Gorbachev 's preferred candidate , Nikolai Ryzhkov , who won 16 % of the vote .
Simplified: Gorbachev 's preferred candidate , former Premier Nikolai Ryzhkov , got only 16 % of the vote .