Chile Heads to Jara–Kast Runoff as Far Right Gains in Congress

Overview

• With 99% counted, Jeannette Jara led the first round with 26.8% to José Antonio Kast’s 23.9% on Nov. 16, and the Dec. 14 runoff will occur under compulsory voting that pushed turnout to nearly 85%.
• Defeated right-leaning contenders Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser endorsed Kast, while third-place Franco Parisi, who won about 19.7%, withheld support for either finalist.
• The far right surged legislatively, rising from 1 to 6 Senate seats and from 15 to 42 in the Chamber, yet Congress remains without a clear majority as right-leaning blocs hold 76 of 155 deputies and 25 of 50 senators.
• Crime and irregular immigration dominated the campaign, with Kast promising a hard-line security and migration crackdown and tax cuts, while Jara pitches higher minimum wages, lithium expansion, anti-evasion measures, police modernization and essential drug price caps.
• Recent polling cited in coverage shows Kast leading head-to-head before the legal pre-runoff survey blackout, and markets rallied on expectations he could prevail.