Milei Picks a 2027 Running Mate Amid Rift With His VP

Politics: Argentina

President Javier Milei says he has settled on a running mate for Argentina’s 2027 election, a quiet signal that his estranged vice president, Victoria Villarruel, will be left off the ticket as their feud reshapes the coming race.

What Milei Actually Said

In an interview published on 2 August by the Patagonian newspaper Diario Río Negro, President Javier Milei said he has already decided who will run alongside him as vice-presidential candidate in the October 2027 elections. He declined to name the person, saying he prefers to keep it to himself for now.

Milei had already confirmed weeks earlier, at an event at the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, that he intends to seek a second term. The new element is the running mate—a choice that carries outsized meaning given the public breakdown with his current deputy.

Argentina’s constitution permits one consecutive presidential re-election, so a 2027 bid is legally open to Milei. In the same interview he renewed his call to abolish the country’s mandatory open primaries, which he put at a cost of about US$250 million a year.

The Milei–Villarruel Rift

Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel are no longer on speaking terms and have criticized each other publicly, a remarkable state of affairs for a president and the deputy elected on his own 2023 ticket. Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli has gone so far as to call for her resignation.

The feud has escalated in stages. Milei has accused Villarruel of disloyalty and of being disconnected from the effort ordinary Argentines are making, while she has suggested the government could save money on official travel and intelligence rather than by cutting benefits to retirees and people with disabilities.

A presidential spokesperson has stated flatly that Villarruel is no longer part of the government, casting her as outside the project. The vice presidency is an elected office that cannot simply be revoked—but the political estrangement is now open and mutual.

Reading the 2027 Signal

Milei’s phrasing—that he has chosen a running mate, in wording that implies not repeating the 2023 ticket—amounts to a clear, if unspoken, message that Villarruel will not share the ballot with him again. Naming no one lets him keep leverage and avoid an early distraction.

Withholding the name also serves a tactical purpose. It keeps allies guessing, preserves flexibility as alliances shift, and denies rivals a fixed target more than two years before the vote.

For a president who has made unpredictability part of his style, floating the existence of a decision without the substance is characteristic. It advances the story of a 2027 bid while committing to nothing concrete.

The Realignment Around Milei

The rift with Villarruel unfolds as Milei recalibrates his coalition. Reporting through 2026 has pointed to a warming between the president and former president Mauricio Macri, whose PRO party could supply governing partners and, potentially, a running mate.

Villarruel, by contrast, has cultivated a distinct base on the nationalist right, including constituencies focused on the military and security. Her removal from the ticket would shift the center of gravity of Milei’s project toward market-liberal allies.

Any choice will have to balance governing arithmetic in Congress with the libertarian identity that carried Milei to office. The vice-presidential pick is one of the clearest signals a president can send about which coalition he intends to lead.

The Wider Political Stakes

Milei has staked his presidency on an austerity program he says is already delivering results—citing a fiscal surplus, slowing inflation, the lifting of currency controls and rebuilt reserves. These are the president’s own assertions, and independent verification of the full picture remains limited.

He has projected three consecutive years of growth and touted an incentive regime for large investments, pointing to more than US$46 billion in approved projects and over US$100 billion under evaluation, with heavy weight in the Patagonian provinces. He acknowledged that many Argentines have yet to feel the improvement in their pockets.

Against that backdrop, the 2027 ticket is more than personnel. It is a referendum on whether Milei’s economic model has enough public support to earn a second term—and on which partners he will need to secure it.

What to Watch Next

The first thing to watch is timing. Milei is unlikely to reveal his running mate soon; the choice will sharpen as alliances settle and as the fate of the primaries is decided. Those primaries were suspended for the 2025 elections, and their status for 2027 has not been fixed.

The second is Villarruel’s next move. As a sitting vice president with her own following, she retains a platform even outside the president’s inner circle, and how she positions herself will shape the right’s landscape.

For observers of Argentina, the episode is an early marker in a long campaign. A rupture at the top of the ticket rarely stays contained, and the contest to define the government’s 2027 face has effectively begun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Milei chosen his 2027 running mate?

He says yes—that he has already decided who will run as his vice-presidential candidate in October 2027—but he is withholding the name. He made the comment in an interview published on 2 August 2026.

Will Victoria Villarruel be on the ticket?

Milei’s wording implies he will not repeat the 2023 ticket, signaling Villarruel will be left off. The two are no longer on speaking terms, and a cabinet chief has called for her resignation.

Can Milei run for a second term?

Yes. Argentina’s constitution permits one consecutive re-election, and Milei has already confirmed he intends to seek a second term.

Sources: MercoPress; Buenos Aires Herald; Argentina Reports.

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