Chile Sets Jara–Kast Runoff as Right Rallies Behind Kast

Overview

• Jeannette Jara led the first round with about 26.8% to José Antonio Kast’s roughly 23.9%, with compulsory voting driving near‑record turnout of about 85%.
• Right‑of‑center figures Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser endorsed Kast, while third‑place Franco Parisi, with about 19.7%, withheld support and left his voters up for grabs.
• Polling and analyst assessments point to an edge for Kast in the December 14 runoff, including an AtlasIntel survey showing him leading Jara in a hypothetical second round.
• Ultraright parties posted major legislative gains but fell short of a majority, leaving the Chamber split with the right at 76 seats and the PDG holding 14, and the Senate evenly divided 25–25.
• Kast opened his second‑round campaign in Temuco with a hardline security message and plans for a northern “border shield,” while Jara seeks to broaden appeal beyond the governing left.