2012 Kadima leadership election days prior to the primary, and endorsed Mofaz. Polls closed at 22:00, but results were not in until 01:00 the next day. Mofaz defeated Livni 62.3% to 37.7%, but invited her to remain in the party in his victory speech. Livni called Mofaz to congratulate him and thanked her supporters in a concession speech. Likud MK Ofir Akunis wished Mofaz a long career as opposition leader and said Kadima was "at the end of its journey". Fellow Likud MK Danny Danon criticized the "left-wing" views of Mofaz, such as his plan to return the borders of Israel to the Green
Kadima Mussolini's newspaper "Avanti" (Italian for "Forward"). According to Sharon supporters, on the first day after its founding, Kadima already had nearly 150 members, most of whom were defectors from Likud. Several Knesset members from Labor, Likud, and other parties immediately joined the new party, including cabinet ministers Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, Meir Sheetrit, Gideon Ezra and Avraham Hirschson. Deputy ministers Ruhama Avraham, Majalli Wahabi, Eli Aflalo, Marina Solodkin, Ze'ev Boim and Yaakov Edri also joined the party, along with Likud MKs Roni Bar-On and Omri Sharon. Former Histadrut chairman Haim Ramon of Labor decided to join the party shortly thereafter.