Chair of the Social Democratic Party Árni Páll Árnason was reelected at the party’s conference on Friday night by one vote after an unexpected leadership challenge from MP in Reykjavík Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir. Árni Páll received 49.49 percent of the vote, or 241 votes, while Sigríður received 49.28 percent, or 240 votes. A total of 487 of the 503 party members at the conference voted, or 97 percent, visir.is reports.
Sigríður only announced her intention to Árni Páll to run the day before the conference. In a statement sent to the press this morning, she declared her support for Árni Páll.
The Social Democrats were the major partner in the 2009-2013 government, but took a major blow in the election. Árni Páll took over as leader at that election and says the party is now well on its way to recovery and once again being a rallying point for people with many different outlooks.
According to the last MMR poll, published Thursday, the party has 15.5 percent support.
