CARACAS, Venezuela — State Gov. Henrique Capriles handily won a primary vote Sunday to become the single candidate who will challenge Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, launching a race to try to dislodge a leader who after 13 years in power still has a loyal following.
Opposition election chief Teresa Albanes announced the preliminary results, saying that Capriles won about 62 percent of the vote, beating Zulia state Gov. Pablo Perez by a margin of more than 30 percentage points.
Chavez’s opponents lined up to vote in many areas, surpassing most expectations with a turnout of about 2.9 million ballots cast out of Venezuela’s 18 million registered voters.
Capriles had been the front-runner in pre-election polls among five contenders. The 39-year-old governor of Miranda state has attracted a large following as a charismatic, youthful alternative to Chavez.
“He’s going to be the candidate who can get us out of this giant hole we’re stuck in,” said Carmen Gloria Padilla, a 66-year-old telephone-company employee who voted for him.
Some of Capriles’ supporters said they think he has a good chance of winning over Venezuelans who otherwise might lean pro-Chavez because he has taken a largely nonconfrontational approach while promising solutions to problems including 26 percent inflation and one of the highest murder rates in Latin America.
The once-divided opposition has gained popularity in recent years, and the race could end up being the toughest re-election bid of Chavez’s career.
