2018 Autuzian primary election

2018 Autuzian primary election

1 July 2018 (1st round) 15 July 2018 (2nd round)
Opinion polls
Turnout	78.62% (first round) 0.66% 75.91% (second round) 1.92%
Nominee Houbêrt Louxhî Vinçant Wiyåme Party Liberal-Progressives Labour Popular vote high number less high number Percentage 53.91% 46.09%
Primary before election Vinçant Wiyåme Labour Elected Primary Houbêrt Louxhî Liberal-Progressives

Primary elections were held in Auzance on 1 and 15 July, 2018. As no candidate won a majority of votes in the first round on 1 July, a runoff was held, in which Houbêrt Louxhî unexpectedly defeated incumbent Vinçant Wiyåme and was thus elected as Premier of Auzance. Upon his defeat to Louxhî, Wiyåme became the second Autuzian Premier to lose re-election in history. The centre-left's victory in this election stood in stark contrast to the legislative elections before and after it, in a period where Labour have controlled the legislature consecutively for a decade since 2012.

In the first round, Wiyåme led with 34.9% of votes, followed by Louxhî with 26.2%, with the National Party's Vervî receiving 14.2% of the vote. Leading into the second round two weeks later, Wiyåme suffered poor reception at a string of national debates, and Louxhî gained popularity as a left-of-centre compromiser and unity candidate, compared to Wiyåme's fractuous relationship with moderates in his own left-wing councilist party. Withstanding this, Louxhî was not predicted to win the second round by the majority of pollsters. As a result of Louxhî's victory, he took office the following day at midnight, ending incumbent Wiyåme's term.