Her husband enjoyed widespread popularity for his handling of the economy. She, a lawyer and senator, ran for the presidency herself hoping to take advantage of her husband's sway with the voters.
Nope. It's not who you're thinking, unless you're up to speed on politics south of the equator. (Reuters)
And she won.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner rode an economic boom and her husband's popularity to victory in a presidential election on Sunday to become the country's first elected woman leader.
Fernandez, a glamorous lawyer and center-left senator, will take over from President Nestor Kirchner in December in a rare power handover between democratically elected spouses.
Partial results showed Fernandez with 44 percent support and a wide lead, enough to claim victory and avoid a runoff vote. Her main rivals, former lawmaker Elisa Carrio and former economy minister Roberto Lavagna, both conceded defeat.
Fernandez, 54, ran an effortless campaign without a primary, a candidates' debate or concrete policy outlines. She instead met foreign leaders and trumpeted lower poverty rates since Kirchner took office four years ago.
The article also points out:
Argentina has had a woman president before, but she was not elected. Isabel Peron, the third wife of former President Juan Peron, succeeded him when he died in 1974 and ruled for two years until she was ousted in a military coup.
It wasn't even Evita.
The article also states that Fernandez has a tough road ahead:
Argentines recently called for boycotts of tomatoes, potatoes and other foods as prices have soared. The president-elect says she will fight inflation by striking deals with businesses and unions to cap profit and wage demands.
Uh-oh.
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