Argentina's Fernandez hand strengthened by primary

With almost all of the votes counted, Fernandez had just over 50 percent support -- 38 percentage points ahead of her closest contenders, centrist congressman Ricardo Alfonsin and former President Eduardo Duhalde.

Sunday's primary vote was effectively a nationwide opinion poll because the parties had already chosen their candidates and voters could cast ballots for any of them.

Fernandez has rankled Wall Street by imposing price controls, nationalizing private pension funds and publishing inflation data far below private estimates.

But Argentine voters put her on track for a first-round triumph on October 23, when she will need just over 45 percent support to win outright.