The Presidency of Néstor Kirchner began on 25 May 2003, when Néstor Kirchner became President of Argentina. He was the Governor of Santa Cruz during the 2003 general election, he was elected second to Carlos Menem but became president when Menem refused to go for a required runoff election. In elections of October 2007, he declined for a second term and was later succeeded by his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as President.