(CNN) -- Former Finnish Finance Minister Sauli Niinisto emerged victorious in the nation's presidential election Sunday, according to preliminary results. According to Finland's Ministry of Justice, with 100% of votes counted, Niinisto defeated the nation's first openly gay presidential candidate, Pekka Haavisto, with 62.6% of the vote compared to Haavisto's 37.4%. Both were vying to succeed Tarja Halonen, Finland's first female president, who cannot run for re-election. In the first round of voting on January 28, the conservative Niinisto took just under 37% of the vote. Haavisto, a pro-European Green League candidate, got 18.8%, claiming the No. 2 spot and narrowly edging out euro-skeptic Paavo Vayrynen, who had 17.5%.
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NEW: Sauli Niinisto gained 62.6% of the vote, preliminary results show
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Opponent Pekka Haavisto is Finland's first openly gay presidential candidate
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The vote pits a former finance minister against an ex-environment minister
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Both candidates are pro-Europe at a time when the EU is in crisis
@placeholder joined the euro when it was created, when Niinisto was finance minister.