Picking lexicographically smaller

Question : https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/find-winner-election-votes-represented-candidate-names/

Given an array of names of candidates in an election. A candidate name in array represents a vote casted to the candidate. Print the name of candidates received Max vote. If there is tie, print lexicographically smaller name.

// C++++ program to find winner in an election. 
#include "bits/stdc++.h" 
using namespace std; 

/* We have four Candidates with name as 'John', 
'Johnny', 'jamie', 'jackie'. 
The votes in String array are as per the 
votes casted. Print the name of candidates 
received Max vote. */
void findWinner(vector<string>& votes) 
{ 
    
    // Insert all votes in a hashmap 
    map<string,int> mapObj ; 
    for (auto& str : votes) 
    { 
        mapObj[str]++; 
    } 

    // Traverse through map to find the candidate 
    // with maximum votes. 
    int maxValueInMap = 0; 
    string winner; 
    for (auto& entry : mapObj) 
    { 
        string key = entry.first; 
        int val = entry.second; 
        if (val > maxValueInMap) 
        { 
            maxValueInMap = val; 
            winner = key; 
        } 

        // If there is a tie, pick lexicographically 
        // smaller. 
        else if (val == maxValueInMap && 
            winner>key) 
            winner = key; 
    } 
    cout << winner << endl; 
} 

// Driver code 
int main() 
{ 
vector<string> votes = { "john", "johnny", "jackie", 
                    "johnny", "john", "jackie", 
                    "jamie", "jamie", "john", 
                    "johnny", "jamie", "johnny", 
                    "john" }; 

findWinner(votes); 
return 0; 
} 

How is this picking the lexicographically smaller key? I couldn't understand this part of the code clearly

else if (val == maxValueInMap && 
            winner>key) 
            winner = key; 

Can someone help me with this? Thanks!