Rob Jetten's achievement in dragging his socially liberal D66 party from fifth place to the top of Dutch politics in less than two years has been extraordinary.
But politically, all the stars were perfectly aligned for the 38-year-old to do so.
The result of Wednesday's election is too close to call, with Jetten vying with anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders for the most seats in parliament.
No other political leader commanded as much screen time during the campaign as Jetten and his smile and cheerful message resonated with voters, while his rivals sometimes struggled.
Hardly a night went by without him on TV. When Wilders cancelled an appearance because of security fears, Rob Jetten seized the moment and took his place. He even featured in a TV quiz show recorded months ago called The Smartest Person.
And his D66 party was untarnished by involvement in Wilders' ill-fated coalition, largely because Jetten had fared poorly in the last election.
But perhaps more than anything else, he was able to convey a positive message summed up by the slogan Het kan wel - an optimistic phrase that borrows from Barack Obama's Yes, we can.
If his party does come top, Rob Jetten could become the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister.
Jetten is now engaged to Argentine hockey player, Nicolás Keenan, and they are due to marry next year.
Supporters see him as a kind of mini-Mark Rutte, who is now head of Nato. Jetten wants to build 10 cities to solve the housing crisis amidst promises of big changes.
To succeed, he will need resilience similar to Rutte's to navigate complex political challenges ahead.
