Leandro Santoro (born 11 June 1976) is an Argentine political scientist, professor and politician, currently serving as a National Deputy since 2021. Santoro previously served as a member of the Buenos Aires City Legislature from 2017 to 2021.
Santoro was born on 11 June 1976 in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Boedo. He was raised by a single mother and attended the Colegio Salesiano San Francisco de Sales, a Catholic boys' school. Starting at age 13, he joined the Radical Civic Union (UCR) inspired by his admiration of then-president Raúl Alfonsín. In time, Santoro would become a leader in the Juventud Radical [es], the UCR's youth wing.[1]
In 1999, Santoro and other members of his local UCR committee camped outside the Hospital Italiano, where Alfonsín had been hospitalised following a potentially lethal accident, for 40 days. The event helped forge a deeper connection between Alfonsín and Santoro. He formed part of Los Irrompibles, an alfonsinist group within the UCR founded by Jesús Rodríguez.[2]
Santoro studied political science at the University of Buenos Aires, and later taught courses at the university's UBA XXI programme.[3]
In the 2021 legislative election, Santoro ran for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies as the first candidate in the Frente de Todos list in Buenos Aires. With 25.06% of the vote, the FDT was the second-most voted alliance in the city, enough for Santoro to make it past the D'Hondt cut and be elected, alongside Gisela Marziotta and Carlos Heller.[7] He was sworn in on 4 December 2021, and began his mandate on 10 December 2021.[8]
Personal life
Santoro was married to Cecilia Moreau, a fellow politician and daughter of the prominent political leader (and Santoro's former political mentor) Leopoldo Moreau.[2][5] Santoro and Moreau have a daughter together, Francisca.[9] Since 2021, Santoro has sat in the Chamber of Deputies alongside both Moreaus.
Santoro has since married a childhood friend, pharmacist Clara González Sorey, with whom he has had a daughter with, Antonia.[9]
^"Elecciones 2015". eleccionesciudad.gob.ar (in Spanish). Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
^"Elecciones 2023". eleccionesciudad.gob.ar (in Spanish). Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
^"Elecciones 2017"(PDF). tsjbaires.gov.ar (in Spanish). Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Retrieved 4 February 2023.