2007 Soltenish Presidential Election
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469 votes up for election 235 votes needed to win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Registered | 108,742,195 (pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 85,032.976 (78.2%) () | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republics won by Girardino DaCareza
Republics won by Erik Schmidt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2007 Soltenish presidential election was the 6th sexennial presidential election held in Soltenia. The election was held on Wednesday, July 11, 2007. Incumbent president Girardino DaCareza of the Republican Party, representing the United Left alliance, won a landslide victory against Confederal Union candidate and former senator from Fernerland, Erik Schmidt. DaCareza won by 10.7 points in the popular and vote and a landslide in the presidential vote, winning 355 votes to Schmidt's 114. This election marked the second of three straight victories for the Leftist Alliance.
DaCareza was easily re-nominated by the Republican Party, and thus the United Left alliance as a whole. Very few candidates competed for the Confederal Union nomination due to fears of an electoral loss due to DaCareza's high popularity. This sentiment was captured in a television skit by the comedian Giovanni DeSanta called "Campaign '07: 'The Race to Avoid Being the One Who Loses to DaCareza,'" in which each prospective major candidate "tried to top the other in explaining why they were unfit to run" for the presidency. In the end, former senator Erik Schmidt was nominated by the Confederal Union Party, beating out senator Paulo Storetti and president of the Suregni Islands Jorge Huerta.
DaCareza touted strong economic growth and reduced poverty from before he took office as well as the widespread perception that his presidency had overseen a reduction in corruption after the chaotic scandals of the Berolder administration. A DaCareza campaign ad stated that DaCareza had "returned honor to the presidency". At 65, DaCarez is the oldest person ever to be nominated by a major party for president. Schmidt criticized DaCareza's tax increases and budget deficits, and called for a reduction in new social programs.
On election day, DaCareza defeated Schmidt in a landslide victory, winning 355 delegates to Schmidt's 114 and taking 54.7% of the national popular vote to Schmidt's 44.0%, a margin of 10.7%. DaCareza's strength with urban voters and speakers of High Soltenish helped propel him to victory. In a rare departure from historical trends, DaCareza also won a majority of Fernerlanders as well. DaCareza became the oldest president to ever be sworn in, at 65 years of 4 days of age when he was sworn in for his second term. The previous holder of this record, Ezio Faraghi, was 64 years and 122 days old upon his swearing in on 3 August 1977. Faraghi remains the oldest person ever elected to a first term in Soltenish presidential history. Since DaCareza's death on 27 June 2023, this is the most recent election where both candidates have died.