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Jara and Kast Court Parisi’s Voters as Chile’s Right Lines Up for Runoff

With the Dec. 14 vote set, analysts say Kast gains a numerical edge after swift right‑wing endorsements, leaving Parisi’s 2.5 million voters as the pivotal prize.

Overview

  • Official first‑round results put Jeannette Jara at 26.8% and José Antonio Kast at 23.9% under mandatory voting, sending both to a December runoff.
  • Johannes Kaiser and Evelyn Matthei endorsed Kast on election night, giving him a transfer base of more than 26% from their combined first‑round votes.
  • Franco Parisi finished third with roughly 19.7% and said he will not back either contender, declaring that candidates "have to earn our votes."
  • Jara launched a tougher anti‑crime pitch in La Pintana, proposing to lift bank secrecy to pursue organized crime and signaling openness to rivals’ ideas such as eliminating VAT on medicines.
  • Kast emphasized security and immigration in a trip to La Araucanía, unveiled a new slogan and named Martín Arrau as campaign chief, while analysts highlight the right’s combined vote above 50% and Boric’s high disapproval as challenges for Jara.