Gay Finnish Presidential Candidate Defeated

 Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s first openly gay presidential candidate, lost a runoff election Sunday to former finance minister Sauli Niinisto.

The Associated Press reports that Haavisto, a former environment minister, received 37% of the vote to Niinisto’s 63%. They were competing to succeed Tarja Halonen, the nation’s first woman president, who is finishing her second term and is not eligible to run again.

In the first round of voting, January 28, Niinisto came in first with 37% of the vote and Haavisto second with 18.8%. Because no candidate received a majority, the runoff was necessary.

According to the AP, “Haavisto’s sexual orientation wasn’t a major issue in debates, but analysts said it was an obstacle in the race. ‘The older generation simply isn’t ready for it,’ said Olavi Borg, a political analyst.”

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