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Chile’s Presidential Runoff Set: Jara Leads First Round as Kast Gains Momentum

Kast enters the Dec. 14 rematch with a vote‑transfer edge from eliminated right‑wing contenders, reflecting an election shaped by crime and migration anxiety.

Chilean presidential candidate Jeannette Jara joined the Communist Party at the age of 14 but is running on behalf of a broad left-wing coalition
Jose Antonio Kast, presidential candidate of the far-right Republican Party, reacts next to his wife, Maria Pia Adriasola, following early results during the presidential election, in Santiago, Chile November 16, 2025. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido
A man stands in front of a newsstand with a front page showing far-right presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast and a headline reading “Kast is halfway to becoming the next president” favoring Kast to clinch victory in the December 14 runoff, after he finished slightly behind governing coalition candidate Jeannette Jara in Chile's first-round presidential vote on Sunday, in Santiago, Chile, November 17, 2025. REUTERS/Juan Gonzalez
Presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast of the Republican Party, waves to supporters after early results in the general elections in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Overview

  • Official Servel counts with roughly all votes tallied show Jeannette Jara at about 26.8% and José Antonio Kast near 24%, sending both to a Dec. 14 runoff after neither cleared 50%.
  • Eliminated conservatives Johannes Kaiser and Evelyn Matthei quickly backed Kast, and analysts say the larger combined right‑of‑center first‑round vote gives him an advantage heading into the rematch.
  • Right‑wing populist Franco Parisi finished third near 19% and declined to endorse either finalist, while Kaiser placed fourth and Matthei fifth.
  • Public concern over rising violent crime and immigration dominated the campaign, with Kast pushing border barriers and mass deportations as Jara proposes more police, tougher tools against organized crime, and cost‑of‑living relief.
  • This was the first Chilean presidential contest under mandatory voting and automatic registration, expanding participation to about 15.7 million eligible voters.