Moldova’s pro-Western president wins 2nd term in runoff overshadowed by Russian meddling claims

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a pivotal presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race that was overshadowed by claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation in the European Union candidate country.

With nearly 99% of votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held Sunday, Sandu had 54.7% of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, or CEC, compared to 45.3% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general who was backed by the pro-Russia Party of Socialists.

The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed Sandu’s candidacy, and her push for closer Western ties on Moldova’s path toward the EU.

“Moldova, you are victorious! Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books. Today, you have saved Moldova!” Sandu said after claiming victory after midnight.

She went on to claim that her country's vote had faced an “unprecedented attack" through alleged schemes including dirty money, vote-buying, and electoral interference “by hostile forces from outside the country" and criminal groups.

“You have shown that nothing can stand in the way of the people’s power when they choose to speak through their vote," she added.

Speaking before the final vote count, Stoianoglo told the media that “everyone’s voice deserves respect” and that he hopes “from now on, we will put an end to the hatred and division imposed on us.” It isn't clear if he has publicly commented on his electoral defeat.

When polls closed locally at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), turnout stood at more than 1.68 million people — about 54% of eligible voters, according to the CEC. Moldova’s large diaspora, which cast ballots in record numbers of more than 325,000 voted, heavily in favor of Sandu in the runoff.

In the first round held Oct. 20, Sandu obtained 42% of the ballot but failed to win an outright majority over the second place Stoianoglo. The presidential role carries significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu on her victory, by writing on X: “It takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you’ve faced in this election."

Moldova's diaspora played a key role in the presidential vote and in a nationwide referendum held on Oct. 20, when a narrow majority of 50.35% voted to secure Moldova's path toward EU membership. But the results of the ballots including Sunday's vote were overshadowed by allegations of a major vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.

Instead of winning the overwhelming support that Sandu had hoped, the results in both races exposed Moldova’s judiciary as unable to adequately protect the democratic process.

On Sunday, Moldovan police said they had “reasonable evidence” of organized transportation of voters — illegal under the country's electoral code — to polling stations from within the country and from overseas, and are “investigating and registering evidence in connection with air transport activities from Russia to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey.”

“Such measures are taken to protect the integrity of the electoral process and to ensure that every citizen’s vote is cast freely without undue pressure or influence,” police said.

Moldova’s foreign ministry said on Sunday afternoon that polling stations in Frankfurt, Germany, and Liverpool and Northampton in the U.K. had been targeted by false bomb threats, which “intended only to stop the voting process.”

Stanislav Secrieru, the president’s national security adviser, wrote on X: “We are seeing massive interference by Russia in our electoral process,” which he warned had a “high potential to distort the outcome” of the vote.

Secrieru later added that the national voter record systems were being targeted by “ongoing coordinated cyberattacks” to disrupt links between domestic polling stations and those abroad, and that cybersecurity teams were “working to counter these threats and ensure system continuity."

Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that people throughout the country had received “anonymous death threats via phone calls” in what he called “an extreme attack” to scare voters in the former Soviet republic, which has a population of about 2.5 million people.

After casting her ballot in Chisinau, Sandu told reporters: “Thieves want to buy our vote, thieves want to buy our country, but the power of the people is infinitely greater.”

Outside a polling station in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, 20-year-old medical student Silviana Zestrea said the runoff would be a “definitive step” toward Moldova’s future.

“People need to understand that we have to choose a true candidate that will fulfill our expectations,” she said. “Because I think even if we are a diaspora now, none of us actually wanted to leave.”

In the wake of the two October votes, Moldovan law enforcement said that a vote-buying scheme was orchestrated by Ilan Shor, an exiled oligarch who lives in Russia and was convicted in absentia last year of fraud and money laundering. Shor denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors say $39 million was paid to more than 130,000 recipients through an internationally sanctioned Russian bank to voters between September and October. Anti-corruption authorities have conducted hundreds of searches and seized over $2.7 million (2.5 million euros) in cash as they attempt to crack down.

In one case in Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova where only 5% voted in favor of the EU, a physician was detained after allegedly coercing 25 residents of a home for older adults to vote for a candidate they did not choose. Police said they obtained “conclusive evidence,” including financial transfers from the same Russian bank.

On Saturday, at a church in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, Father Vasilii told The Associated Press that he had urged people to go and vote because it's a “civic obligation” and that they do not name any candidates.

“We use the goods the country offers us — light, gas,” he said. “Whether we like what the government does or not, we must go and vote. ... The church always prays for peace.”

On Thursday, prosecutors raided a political party headquarters and said 12 people were suspected of paying voters to select a candidate in the presidential race. A criminal case was also opened in which 40 state agency employees were suspected of taking electoral bribes.

Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told AP that whatever the outcome of the second round, it “will not deflate” geopolitical tensions. “On the contrary, I expect geopolitical polarization to be amplified by the campaign for the 2025 legislative elections.”

Moldovan law enforcement needs more resources and better-trained staff working at a faster pace to tackle voter fraud, he added, to “create an environment in which anyone tempted to either buy or sell votes knows there will be clear and fast consequences."

Savlina Adasan, a 21-year-old economics student in Bucharest, said she voted for Sandu and cited concerns about corruption and voters uninformed about the two candidates.

“We want a European future for our country,” she said, adding that it offers “many opportunities, development for our country … and I feel like if the other candidate wins, then it means that we are going 10 steps back as a country.”

A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021, and a parliamentary election will be held in 2025. Moldova watchers warn that next year’s vote could be Moscow’s main target.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was granted candidate status in June of that year, and in summer 2024, Brussels agreed to start membership negotiations. The sharp westward shift irked Moscow and significantly soured relations with Chisinau.

McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania. Associated Press writer Nicolae Dumitrache in Comrat, Moldova, contributed to this report.

Moldova's President Maia Sandu claps her hands next to media as preliminary results are announced for the presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu celebrates with supporters as preliminary results are announced for the presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu arrives for a press briefing after the polls closed for the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu leaves after speaking to the media during a press briefing after the polls closed for the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu arrives for a press briefing after the polls closed for the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu leaves after speaking to the media during a press briefing after the polls closed for the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaks to the media during a press briefing after the polls closed for the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu celebrates with supporters as preliminary results are announced for the presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu smiles after casting her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu smiles while holding a bouquet of flowers as she celebrates with supporters the preliminary results of the presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman casts her vote in a mobile ballot box during a presidential election runoff, in the village of Ciopleni, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman casts her vote in a mobile ballot box during a presidential election runoff, in the village of Ciopleni, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman casts her vote in a mobile ballot box during a presidential election runoff, in the village of Ciopleni, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Alexandr Stoianoglo, presidential candidate of the Socialists' Party of Moldova (PSRM), leaves a voting station after casting his vote, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, during a presidential election runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Alexandr Stoianoglo, from left, presidential candidate of the Socialists' Party of Moldova (PSRM), watches his daughters Cristina and Corina cast their votes during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman prepares to cast her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaks to the media after casting her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu smiles after casting her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaks to the media after casting her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu arrives to cast her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Moldova's President Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote during a presidential election runoff, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Alexandr Stoianoglo, presidential candidate of the Socialists' Party of Moldova (PSRM) gestures after casting his vote, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, during a presidential election runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Alexandr Stoianoglo, presidential candidate of the Socialists' Party of Moldova (PSRM) and his wife Tvetana Curdova prepare to cast their votes, in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, during a presidential election runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A man backdropped by a statue of Lenin, checks his phone in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman pushes a baby stroller backdropped by moldovan and gagauz flags in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Women attend a religious service inside the Saint John the Baptist cathedral in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A view of the statue of Lenin next to Moldovan and Gagauz flags, in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Security guards talk near the entrance of GagauziyaLand amusement park, in the village of Congraz, Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Women attend a religious service inside the Saint John the Baptist cathedral in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A cleric carries loafs of bread offered in memory of the departed at the end of a religious service inside the Saint John the Baptist cathedral in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A man cycles backdropped by Moldovan and Gagauz flags in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Father Vasilii speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the Saint John the Baptist cathedral in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, an autonomous part of Moldova, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, ahead of a presidential election runoff taking place on Nov. 3. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A boy plays next to a statue of Lenin, with the words "Board of Honor" written in Cyrillic in Romanian and Russian in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

HONOLULU (AP) — Nick Taylor never looked more clutch than when he birdied the 18th hole three times in the WM Phoenix Open, first to force a playoff and the last to win it.

And then he went 23 starts over 11 months without a top 10.

Who can forget that 70-foot eagle putt to win the Canadian Open before a delirious home crowd? During the next seven months and 12 tournaments, he had only one top 10.

The tradeoff for the 36-year-old Canadian are the trophies — one in each of the last three years and five overall.

The latest came Sunday when he least expected it. Taylor chipped in from 60 feet for eagle on the last hole, made a 10-foot birdie putt o stay in the game and won it with a perfectly clipped wedge to just inside 3 feet for birdie to beat Nico Echavarria in a playoff.

And no, he wouldn't trade them.

“I really love the trophies,” Taylor said. “But I would also love to be more consistent.”

He plays practice rounds often with another Canadian, Corey Conners, and their history oddly runs deep. Conners played with him in the weekday rounds when Taylor won in Canada and Hawaii, and Taylor played with Conners the opening two rounds when Conners won in Texas.

Conners has been a greater model of consistency, with only one win since 2020.

“I've played with Corey a lot in practice rounds and tournaments. He’s somebody I aspire to be with his consistency. He’s phenomenal,” Taylor said. “That being said, I really enjoy being in moments and being able to close the deal and to win tournaments is ultimately what we’re trying to do. Again, yeah, consistency. I would love to get there to his level.”

Last year was particularly discouraging because so much was at stake — battling for a spot in the Olympics, and the Presidents Cup being held at Royal Montreal with Canadian Mike Weir as the International captain.

Taylor looked like a shoo-in when he won the Phoenix Open, only to go into a funk — only one finish in the top 20 (tie for 12th at Bay Hill), missed cuts in all four majors and a disappointing phone call when Weir left him off the team.

He also failed to finish in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup, which would have assured Taylor played in all the $20 million signature events.

“Not making top 50 I knew would make the next year just not where I wanted to be. Not making the Presidents Cup definitely hurt,” Taylor said. “I had more myself to blame. I felt like I put Mike in a tough situation. On top of that, I had to play more in the fall than I had originally planned and be away from family a few times.”

Taylor put in some work in the short offseason — and was eager to start a West Coast that featured some of his favorite courses and three signature events at least staying (barely) in the top 60 in the FedEx Cup.

Now he can bank on a return to the Masters and a spot in all the signature events.

“To have this good of a start is awesome,” he said.

So was the finish.

Taylor was two shots behind when he missed 4-foot birdie putts on the 15th and 16th holes and figured that was his last chance.

But then he chipped in for eagle, the leaders behind him — Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun — each dropped a shot and failed to birdie the 18th. That left Taylor and Echavarria, a promising Colombian who has been on a tear recently.

Echavarria, who had some clutch moments of his own on the closing four holes, had the upper hand in the playoff until Taylor made a touch pitch up a steep slope and made a 10-foot birdie. Echavarria again had the advantage on the second playoff hole, 40 feet away on the fringe, while Taylor was back in the fairway 46 yards away.

The pitch was perfect by Taylor. The putt by Echavarria came off soft, stopped 7 feet away and he missed the birdie putt.

Taylor's last three PGA Tour victories were all in a playoff — four extra holes in Canada, two in Phoenix, two in Hawaii.

“I think I enjoy being in those moments. For whatever reason my mind gets clear in those situations of the shot I’m just trying to hit,” he said. “I've worked on that the last couple years, why in those situation am I good and the other situations where I'm not consistent if I'm in 30th or something. We'll work on that. But nice start to the year, obviously.”

This story has been corrected to show that Echavarria is Colombian, not Chilean.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Nick Taylor, of Canada, watches his shot from the 14th tee during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Nick Taylor, of Canada, reacts after making a shot on the first green during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Nick Taylor, of Canada, celebrates after making a shot on the 18th green during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Nick Taylor, left, of Canada, is greeted by Nico Echavarria, of Columbia, after winning their playoff during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Nick Taylor, right, of Canada, poses with his wife, Andie Taylor, and his children, Charlie Taylor, left, and Harper Taylor, center, after winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Nick Taylor, of Canada, poses with his trophy after winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York)