Argentine general election, 1928
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The Argentine general election of 1928 was held on 1 April, with a turnout of 80.9%.


Background

Former President
Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (; 12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union and two-time President of Argentina, who served his first term from 1916 to 1922 and his second ...
's differences with his successor and erstwhile ally,
Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Máximo Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Pacheco (4 October 1868 – 23 March 1942), was an Argentine lawyer and politician, who served as president of Argentina between from 1922 to 1928. His period of government coincided precisely with the en ...
, persuaded him to campaign for the presidency again. Doing so meant overcoming a host of obstacles, however: his "Antipersonalist" opposition within the UCR, though divided, eroded his allies' majority in Congress from 91 seats (out of 158) to 72 in 1924 and 60 in 1926,Nohlen, Dieter. ''Elections in the Americas''. Oxford University Press, 2005. and he himself was 78 and in declining health. These developments encouraged not only the Antipersonalists, but also conservatives, who united behind
Julio A. Roca Alejo Julio Argentino Roca Paz (July 17, 1843 – October 19, 1914) was an army general and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 1880 to 1886 and from 1898 to 1904. Roca is the most important representative of the Generation ...
's Rightist Confederation. The Governor of the important Córdoba Province, Roca was the son of General Julio Roca, who had dominated the country politically between 1880 and 1906 and, in the minds of their supporters, recalled a certain nostalgia for the pastoral Argentina of the time. President Alvear's Antipersonalist UCR nominated the leader of the 1924 dissension that created the movement, Senator
Leopoldo Melo Leopoldo Melo (18691951) was an Argentine lawyer, diplomat and politician. He was a leading figure in the Radical Civic Union, a nominee for president, and later minister of the interior. Biography Leopoldo Melo was born in Diamante, Entre Río ...
. Melo underscored the conservative bent of his campaign by naming Senator
Vicente Gallo Vicente Carmelo Gallo (October 3, 1873June 3, 1942) was an Argentine lawyer, academic, politician, and member of the Radical Civic Union and the Antipersonalist Radical Civic Union. Life Born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Gallo joined the Radi ...
as his running mate; Gallo was a founding member of the paramilitary Argentine Patriotic League, and had resigned as President Alvear's Interior Minister after unsuccessfully lobbying to have a pro-Yrigoyen governor removed.''Todo Argentina: 1927''
The Socialists, who vied for the majority in the Buenos Aires City Legislature (but had little following elsewhere), themselves balked at the possibility of victory in 1928 and split during their 1927 convention over Senator
Juan B. Justo Juan Bautista Justo (June 28, 1865, in Buenos Aires – January 8, 1928, in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine physician, journalist, politician, and writer. After finishing medical school he joined the Civic Union of the Youth, later participating i ...
's intransigent leadership of the party. Senator Justo died suddenly in January 1928, and the party presented two tickets: the Authentic Socialists, led by Congressman
Mario Bravo Mario Humberto Nicolás Bravo (June 27, 1882 – March 17, 1944) was an Argentine politician and writer. Life and times Born in La Cocha, Tucumán Province, in 1882, Bravo enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, and earned a Law Degree ...
and running only in the City of Buenos Aires, and the more conservative Independent Socialists, led Justo's running-mate, former University of La Plata Director
José Nicolás Matienzo José Nicolás Matienzo (October 4, 1860January 3, 1936) was a prominent Argentine lawyer, writer, academic, and policy maker. Life and times José Nicolás Matienzo was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, in 1860. He enrolled at the Univ ...
.''Diario Libre'': Historia electoral de la Argentina (1904-32)
Election night was a referendum on the charismatic Yrigoyen, as well as on the largely positive memories voters had of 1916—22 term. Yrigoyen had further built on this sentiment by focusing debate in the closing days of the campaign on the future of
YPF YPF S.A. (, formerly ; English: "Fiscal Oilfields") is a vertically integrated, majority state-owned Argentine energy company, engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, and the transportation, refining, and marketing of gas and petr ...
, thereby presenting himself as its best defense against the oil concern's chief antagonist,
Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...
. His ticket swept the polls, recovering the majority it enjoyed in the Lower House in the early 1920s (with 53 of 79 seats at stake), and winning 5 of 10 contested Senate seats. His faction won majorities in all major districts: the City of Buenos Aires, and in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Santa Fe Provinces (the latter two had been in opposition hands since 1920 and 1918, respectively). Mendoza Province, which remained in the reformist former Governor
Carlos Washington Lencinas Carlos Washington Lencinas (November 13, 1888 – November 10, 1929) was an Argentine politician and governor of Mendoza, Argentina. Life and times Carlos Washington Lencinas was born in Rivadavia Department, Mendoza, in 1888, to Fidela Peacock a ...
' Dissident UCR column, continued to be denied its two senators by the body, itself.Unión Cívica Radical. Evolución del radicalismo Parte I (1893-1928)
Bravo's Authentic Socialists lost to Matienzo's splinter ticket (though only an endorsement by San Juan Governor Federico Cantoni gave the latter 3 electoral votes). Roca's Unified Front, which lost in their home province of Córdoba, had endorsed the Antipersonalist UCR Melo-Gallo ticket, and pledged their 20 electors to the latter in a symbolic alliance. Minor and provincial parties, for their part, opted instead to abstain from casting most of their combined 84 electoral votes, thereby creating the largest such deficit in the history of the Argentine Electoral College (abolished in 1994 by the constitutional convention held that year). Yrigoyen's running mate,
Francisco Beiró Francisco Beiró (19 September 1876 – 22 July 1928) was an Argentine politician and lawyer, who was elected to Vice President of Argentina with Hipólito Yrigoyen as President, but died before taking office. He was also National Deputy between 1 ...
, died before taking office, and Córdoba Governor
Enrique Martínez Enrique Martinez or Enrique Martínez may refer to: * Enrique Martínez (equestrian) (1930–2021), Spanish equestrian *Enrique Martínez (politician) (1887–1938), Argentine politician *Enrique Martínez y Martínez (born 1948), Mexican politicia ...
was elected to the post by the electoral college.''Todo Argentina: 1928''
Yrigoyen was sworn in on October 12, 1928.


Candidates

* Radical Civic Union (populist): Former President
Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (; 12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union and two-time President of Argentina, who served his first term from 1916 to 1922 and his second ...
of the city of Buenos Aires * Antipersonalist Radical Civic Union/United Front (center-right): Senator
Leopoldo Melo Leopoldo Melo (18691951) was an Argentine lawyer, diplomat and politician. He was a leading figure in the Radical Civic Union, a nominee for president, and later minister of the interior. Biography Leopoldo Melo was born in Diamante, Entre Río ...
of Entre Ríos Province * Socialist Party: Senator
Mario Bravo Mario Humberto Nicolás Bravo (June 27, 1882 – March 17, 1944) was an Argentine politician and writer. Life and times Born in La Cocha, Tucumán Province, in 1882, Bravo enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, and earned a Law Degree ...
of Tucumán Province * Independent Socialist Party: Former Minister of Labor
José Nicolás Matienzo José Nicolás Matienzo (October 4, 1860January 3, 1936) was a prominent Argentine lawyer, writer, academic, and policy maker. Life and times José Nicolás Matienzo was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, in 1860. He enrolled at the Univ ...
of
Buenos Aires Province Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
File:Yrigoyen en ventanilla del ferrocarril viaje a Santa Fe campaña electoral de 1926..jpg, Yrigoyen File:Leopoldo Melo.jpg, Melo File:Mario Bravo.jpg, Bravo File:José Nicolás Matienzo.JPG, Matienzo


Results


President


Chamber of Deputies


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Argentine presidential election, 1928
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...
1928 elections in South America 1928 in Argentina
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...