Overview
- Jeannette Jara led the first round with 26.85% to José Antonio Kast’s 23.92%, sending both to a Dec. 14 runoff after compulsory voting lifted turnout to about 86%.
- Early backing from right-wing rivals, including Johannes Kaiser and signals from Evelyn Matthei, has positioned Kast as the favorite, according to pollsters.
- Concurrent congressional elections gave right-leaning forces a narrow majority in the Chamber of Deputies and more strength in the Senate, potentially smoothing passage of a Kast security agenda if he wins.
- Populist Franco Parisi finished third with roughly 20% of the vote, and analysts view his supporters as a key wildcard for the runoff.
- Crime and migration dominated the campaign, with Kast urging mass deportations and fortified borders while Jara proposes tighter gun laws, enhanced border technology and financial tools against organized crime.