(Bloomberg) -- France’s Republicans picked Valerie Pecresse, head of the economically mighty Paris region, to fight Emmanuel Macron in next year’s election, marking the first time a woman was chosen to represent the center-right party in a presidential contest.

Pecresse won the final round of voting on Saturday, with 61% of ballots cast by party members in a closed election. Eric Ciotti, a lawmaker from southern France often compared to far-right rival Eric Zemmour, took 39%.

“It shows that our ideas, a strong, clear, uncompromising right, are at the heart of the French people’s expectations,” Ciotti said in a speech after the results were announced on Saturday, adding that he would now campaign for Pecresse.

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