Axel Kicillof has been governor of Buenos Aires province since December 2019 and is the best-placed Peronist in the polls for the October 24, 2027 presidential election. A 55-year-old economist, he is second with 25% against 31% for Javier Milei according to Equipo Mide, cited by Ámbito, and statistically tied in other polls.
On September 21, 2026, at a rally in Avellaneda, he said: "We are working to beat Milei," according to Infobae, although he did not formally announce a candidacy. This profile includes only public facts with sources and is part of our coverage of Argentina's 2027 presidential election.
Who Axel Kicillof is: key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | September 25, 1971, Buenos Aires |
| Profession | Economist; degree (1995) and PhD (2005) from the University of Buenos Aires |
| Current office | Governor of Buenos Aires province (since 2019, re-elected in 2023) |
| Political home | Justicialist (Peronist) Party; founder of the Movimiento Derecho al Futuro (2025) |
| Coalition | Fuerza Patria |
| Previous offices | Economy minister (2013-2015) and national deputy (2015-2019) |
Biographical data come from his Wikipedia entry, which cites the original sources. A graduate of the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, Kicillof was active in the TNT student group at the UBA economics faculty. His doctoral thesis dealt with John Maynard Keynes's *General Theory*, the subject of his book *Volver a Keynes* (2007).
His career in the national government
Before politics he was a researcher at Conicet and a lecturer at the UBA. He joined the government under Cristina Fernández de Kirchner:
| Period | Office or milestone |
|---|---|
| Dec 2011 - Nov 2013 | Secretary of Economic Policy and Development Planning (deputy economy minister) |
| April 2012 | Drives the expropriation of 51% of YPF from Repsol; appointed to the oil company's board |
| 2014 | US$5 billion compensation agreement with Repsol |
| Nov 2013 - Dec 2015 | Minister of Economy and Public Finance |
| Dec 2015 - Dec 2019 | National deputy for the City of Buenos Aires |
The YPF expropriation led to a lawsuit in New York: in 2023, Judge Loretta Preska ordered Argentina to pay about US$16.1 billion to former minority shareholders, and on March 27, 2026 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling and sent the case back, according to Kicillof's entry and Diario de Cuyo. The issue remains politically charged: critics blame him for the cost of the litigation and he defends the recovery of the company.
Axel Kicillof as governor of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires province is the district with the most voters in the country, so governing it carries national weight. These are Kicillof's results in the province:
| Election | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Governor (Frente de Todos) | October 27, 2019 | 52.40%, against 38.28% for María Eugenia Vidal |
| Re-election as governor | October 22, 2023 | 44.84%, against 26.63% for Néstor Grindetti |
| Provincial legislative election (held separately) | September 7, 2025 | Fuerza Patria 47.2% against 33.7% for La Libertad Avanza |
| National midterms in the province | October 26, 2025 | La Libertad Avanza edged Fuerza Patria by just over one point |
The September 2025 win, in a provincial election he himself decided to hold separately from the national one, made him the leading opposition figure. Seven weeks later, however, the Peronists narrowly lost the province to La Libertad Avanza in the national midterms. His term as governor ends in December 2027 and he cannot seek a third consecutive term: "I have no re-election," he said himself, according to Perfil.
Peronism and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Kicillof built his career alongside Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, but in recent years he has gained autonomy. In 2025 he founded the Movimiento Derecho al Futuro (MDF), his own faction within Peronism, and since March 15, 2026 he has chaired the Buenos Aires Justicialist Party. Earlier, he declined to publicly back Fernández de Kirchner's bid to chair the national party, according to Hoy Día. The former president is barred for life from holding public office by a court conviction, so she cannot run in 2027.
His plan for 2027 is to extend the MDF to every province, with members of his cabinet as organizers, according to El Economista. At the Avellaneda rally, which drew about 30,000 people according to El Eco, he called for "building an alternative" to Milei and said "count on me", according to Infocielo.
Axel Kicillof in the 2027 polls
| Pollster | Fieldwork | Kicillof | Milei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipo Mide | Sep 18-25, 2026 | 25% | 31% |
| Explanans | Sep 2-9, 2026 | 24.0% | 38.5% |
| Consultora Tendencias | Aug 24-29, 2026 | 33.7% | 32.4% |
| Proyección Consultores | Aug 1-12, 2026 | 32.3% | 36.3% |
| Synopsis (runoff) | Sep 8-15, 2026 | 42.0% | 43.1% |
According to Equipo Mide, Kicillof has 25% firm support, 46% potential support and 53% rejection, better numbers than Milei on those indicators, though lower direct voting intention. Zentrix finds that 50.4% would never vote for him, according to Perfil. To learn about his main rival, see Javier Milei's profile.
How to cite this data
You may use the data on this page if you credit the original source and Vivarae News. Suggested citation: "Axel Kicillof: who he is, his career and his 2027 bid", Vivarae News, updated 20 October 2026, https://vivaraenews.com/en/axel-kicillof-who-he-is-career-and-2027-bid/. We update this profile at the same address as the campaign progresses.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Axel Kicillof?
An Argentine economist born on September 25, 1971, governor of Buenos Aires province since 2019 and former economy minister under Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Will Kicillof run for president in 2027?
He has not made it official, but in September 2026 he said he is working "to beat Milei" and "count on me". Polls place him as the president's main rival.
What was Kicillof's role in YPF?
As deputy economy minister he drove the 2012 expropriation of 51% of YPF and sat on the company's board. Compensation to Repsol was agreed in 2014.
What share of the vote did Kicillof win as governor?
52.40% in 2019 and 44.84% in his 2023 re-election.
What is the Movimiento Derecho al Futuro?
The political faction Kicillof created in 2025 within Peronism to project his leadership nationally.
