This weekend there are presidential elections in Argentina (we also elect a governor for the province of Buenos Aires and a mayor in La Plata).
The truth is, I've never been very interested in politics, and I don't see any reason to get involved now... However, it's interesting to look in the Torah for an indication of this topic of elections, candidates, etc.
The idea behind this quest is that everything is in the Torah. The Zohar (written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the foundational text of Kabbalah) explains that God observed the Torah and created the universe. This means that all matters are, in one way or another, reflected in the words of the Torah.
It is therefore interesting to consider and analyze what the choices in the Torah might look like. There are many examples we could take, such as Noah's choice to recreate all of humanity from his descendants after the flood, Abraham's choice to be the father of nations in general and the patriarch of the Jewish people in particular, and Moses' choice as leader and redeemer of the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt. The common denominator in all these choices is that God chose.
On the other hand, we find in the Torah a human choice: when Moses chose the judges and police officers who would govern the people. The qualities that the Torah requires of a leader are seven: 1) Tzaddik (holy), 2) Wise, 3) Knowledgeable, 4) Well-known, 5) Heaven-fearing, 6) Trustworthy, 7) A hater of money (See Exodus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 1:13 and Rashi's commentary there).
Now, I'm not here to judge the candidates because, as I mentioned before, I don't know anything about politics... but we can take these parameters that the Torah gives us to look for, among the available possibilities, the closest and most ideal.
Finally, it's worth noting that we should all take these qualities as benchmarks to emulate. While we may not be judges or in positions of power to lead or govern, this doesn't mean we shouldn't act in accordance with these standards of behavior.
Furthermore, who among us can avoid judging our neighbors... may we learn from these qualities to always judge others positively and seek merit in all situations.