Preliminary results from Sunday's parliamentary elections in Argentina suggest President Nestor Kirchner has gained a solid base of support in Congress.
Exit polls show candidates allied with Mr. Kirchner will be in the majority in both the Senate and the lower Chamber of Deputies.
The most anticipated race was a Senate contest between Argentina's current and former first ladies. Early indications from Buenos Aires province show Cristina Kirchner holding a commanding lead over Hilda Duhalde, the wife of ex-President Eduardo Duhalde.
The elections were largely seen as a referendum on Mr. Kirchner, who took office in 2003 after winning only 22 percent of the vote. He has implemented a slate of reforms aimed at helping Argentina recover from the 2001 economic collapse.
Some information for this report provided by AP, APF and Reuters.