ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic won most of the votes in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, but must face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term.
With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%.
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Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic greets the media after his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Ivana Kekin, left-green candidate of the (Mozemo) "We Can" party casts her ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic casts his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic speaks to the media after casting his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A woman prepares her ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Ivana Kekin, left-green candidate of the (Mozemo) "We Can" arrives at a polling station during presidential elections in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic prepares his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) arrives at a polling station during a presidential election in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) prepares his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) speaks to the media after casting his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) poses as he casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A member of the election commission sets the coat of arms during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on Jan. 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote.
Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned “this was just a first run.”
“Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.”
Milanovic is an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents.
The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanović has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, he has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia’s political scene.
Plenković, the prime minister, has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and NATO. He has labeled Milanović “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing.
“The difference between him and Milanović is quite simple: Milanović is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said.
Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme military commander.
Milanović has criticized the NATO and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, though it is a member of both NATO and the EU.
Milanović has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a NATO-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war.”
His main rival in the election, Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East.” His presidency bid, however, has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and featured prominently in pre-election debates.
During the election campaign, Primorac has sought to portray himself as a unifier and Milanović as divisive.
Primorac was upbeat despite such a big defeat in the first round.
“I know the difference (in votes) at first sight seems very big,” said Primorac, who insisted that the center-right votes had split among too many conservative candidates.
“Now we have a great opportunity to face each other one on one and show who stands for what,” he said.
Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic greets the media after his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Ivana Kekin, left-green candidate of the (Mozemo) "We Can" party casts her ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic casts his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic speaks to the media after casting his ballot during presidential elections, at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A woman prepares her ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Ivana Kekin, left-green candidate of the (Mozemo) "We Can" arrives at a polling station during presidential elections in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic prepares his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) arrives at a polling station during a presidential election in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) prepares his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) speaks to the media after casting his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) poses as he casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A member of the election commission sets the coat of arms during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
A man casts his ballot during a presidential election at a polling station in Zagreb, Croatia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Days of unrelenting downpours swelled rivers to near record levels across Kentucky on Monday, submerging neighborhoods and threatening a famed bourbon distillery in the state capital.
Inundated rivers posed the latest threat from persistent storms that have killed at least 23 people — 10 in Tennessee — since last week as they doused the region with heavy rain and spawned destructive tornadoes. Though the storms have finally moved on, the flood danger likewise remains high in several other states, including parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana.
Cities ordered evacuations and rescue crews in inflatable boats checked on residents in Kentucky and Tennessee, while utilities shut off power and gas in a region stretching from Texas to Ohio. Floodwaters forced the closure of the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery, close to the banks of the swollen Kentucky River near downtown Frankfort, Kentucky.
Salon owner Jessica Tuggle watched Monday as murky brown water approached her Frankfort business. She and her friends had moved her salon gear — styling chairs, hair products and electronics — to a nearby taproom.
“Everybody was just, ‘stop raining, stop raining,’ so we could get an idea of what the worst situation would be,” she said.
Officials diverted traffic and turned off utilities to businesses in Frankfort as the river crested just short of a record Monday. More than 500 state roads across Kentucky were still closed Monday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Ashley Welsh, her husband, four children and pets had to leave their Frankfort home along the river Saturday evening, abandoning a lifetime of belongings to the floodwaters.
When she checked her house’s cameras Sunday morning, the water had risen to the second floor.
“My stuff was floating around in the living room. I was just heartbroken. Our life is up there,” Welsh said.
Twenty-three deaths have been reported since the storms began Wednesday. Among the four confirmed killed in Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy in Kentucky was caught up in floodwaters while walking to catch his school bus. A 5-year-old boy in Arkansas died after a tree fell on his family’s home, police said. A 16-year-old volunteer Missouri firefighter died in a crash while seeking to rescue people caught in the storm.
A Carroll County, Tennessee, electric department lineman died while working in the storms, state emergency management officials said.
Kentucky State Police said Monday that they recovered the body of a McCracken County man swept away by floodwaters Sunday while trying to retrieve his boat. And Beshear reported the flood-related death of a Trigg County man Monday.
The Arkansas Division of Emergency confirmed the death of a man found by the Sherwood Fire Department in a submerged vehicle.
Two men sitting in a golf cart, a father and son, were killed when a tree fell on them at a golf course in Columbus, Georgia, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
The Kentucky River crested at Frankfort Lock at 48.27 feet (14.71 meters) Monday, just shy of the record of 48.5 feet (14.8 meters) set there on Dec. 10, 1978, according to CJ Padgett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Louisville, Kentucky, office.
Beshear said more than 1,000 people had no access to water and nearly 3,000 were under boil water advisories. The city of Harrodsburg about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Frankfort said on social media that its water system had to discontinue pumping around midnight because of flood levels on the Kentucky River. Bottled water was being handed out Monday.
John and Phyllis Sower hunkered down about a half-block from the river in their Frankfort home, which had about 4 feet (122 centimeters) of water in the cellar. A neighbor waded over Monday to bring them flowers on their front porch.
“We are an island in the Kentucky River,” Phyllis Sower said.
In northeastern Arkansas, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the scene “absolutely heartbreaking” around the town of Hardy, which took damage to its city hall and other buildings. Sanders and local officials vowed to rebuild.
West Memphis, Arkansas, Fire Chief Barry Ealy told WREG-TV that crews in the flood-prone city have rescued more than 100 people.
A tornado destroyed more than 100 structures in McNairy County, Tennessee, tearing through the town of Selmer with winds estimated up to 160 mph (257 kph), local emergency management officials said. State officials say severe weather killed five people in the county of roughly 26,100 residents.
Though significant rains have ended in the Southern Plains and the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys, flooding on most rivers will persist this week, with some smaller waterways receding in the next few days, according to the weather service.
Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong winds and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.
The NWS said 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain fell Saturday in Jonesboro, Arkansas — making it the wettest day ever recorded in April in the city. Memphis, Tennessee, got 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain from Wednesday to Sunday, the NWS said.
Marshall County in western Kentucky received nearly 16 inches (41 centimeters) over the last five days, said Padgett, the meteorologist. Parts of central Kentucky received 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) over those days and eastern Kentucky received 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters), Padgett said.
The storms come after the Trump administration cut jobs at NWS forecast offices, leaving half of them with vacancy rates of about 20%, or double the level of a decade ago.
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in New York; Kimberlee Kruesi and Jonathan Mattise, in Nashville, Tennessee; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Adrian Sainz in Memphis; Tennessee; and Obed Lamy in Rives, Tennessee.
In an aerial view, a bourbon barrel floats on the floodwaters of the Buffalo Trace Distillery on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
In an aerial view, the flooded Buffalo Trace Distillery is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
A flooded structure is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Azariah Boone, of Owenton, Ky, looks out over debris and rising floodwater from the Kentucky River washing up Crittenden Street, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Gratz, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Water seeps through a flood wall on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
In an aerial view, the flooded Buffalo Trace Distillery is seen on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
A mobile home park floods where rising waters of the Little Sugar Creek meet the Ohio River, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Napoleon, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Buildings in a flooded downtown area are seen on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
The rising Ohio River floods along Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Ky., is seen amid floodwaters on Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Kristin M. Hall)
Camp Turn-A-Bout is flooded by the rising Ohio River at the Gunpowder Creek, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Union, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Camp Turn-A-Bout is flooded by the rising Ohio River at the Gunpowder Creek, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Union, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Camp Turn-A-Bout is flooded by the rising Ohio River at the Gunpowder Creek, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Union, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A boy looks on as people ride a boat down a flooded road on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
A Canada goose flies along the rising Ohio River at the flooded Anderson Ferry ramp Monday, April 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Dale Bardes, the oldest resident of Rabbit Hash, Ky., drives on the edge of the rising Ohio River floodwaters as he checks the water levels near the Rabbit Hash General Store on Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Dale Bardes, the oldest resident of Rabbit Hash, Ky., drives on the edge of the rising Ohio River floodwaters as he checks the water levels near the Rabbit Hash General Store on Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising Ohio River floods along Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising Ohio River floods along Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising Ohio River floods along Lower River Road, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Rabbit Hash, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The rising Ohio River partially submerges the bronze statue of James Bradley along Riverside Drive, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Covington, Ky. Cincinnati and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge are seen across the Ohio River. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A Canadian goose swims in the rising Ohio River at the intersection of River Riverside Place and Ben Bernstein Place, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Covington, Ky., across the river from Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Carole Smith walks through her flooded home on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Search and rescue firefighters carry a boat to a flooded neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
A flooded neighborhood is seen on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Road crews work to clear Lee County Rd. 681 in Saltillo, Miss, Sunday, April 6, 2025, of downed trees that blocked the road following the severe weather that passed through the area Saturday night. (Thomas Wells /The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP)
CORRECTS TO MICHAEL NOT MICHALE Michael Scott Memering looks out of his trailer after evacuating the Licking River RV Campground that was flooded by the rising waters of the Licking River, seen behind, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Falmouth, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Bill Jones pulls his boat ashore, filled with bottles of bourbon, from a flooded home near the banks of the Kentucky River on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Search and rescue firefighters conduct wellness checks in a neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Abner Wagers stands near flooded homes in the rising waters of the Kentucky River in Monterey, Ky,. Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The flooded downtown area is seen on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Search and rescue firefighters speak to a resident in a flooded neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
A group of people survey damage at Pounders Mobile Home Park following a strong line of storms in the area in Muscle Shoals, Ala, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Dan Busey/The TimesDaily via AP)
Search and rescue firefighters conduct wellness checks in a neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Abner Wagers walks in the rising waters of the Kentucky River on a flooded Monterey Pike in Monterey, Ky., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Abner Wagers, right, and Brayden Baker, both with the Monterey Volunteer Fire Department, walk in the rising waters of the Kentucky River near a flooded home in Monterey, Ky., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
the rising waters of Cedar Creek and the Kentucky River overflow their banks, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Monterey, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
