Chile has elected José Antonio Kast of the far-right Republican Party as its new president following a decisive runoff election. The country’s Electoral Service confirmed Kast’s victory on Sunday, with near-complete results showing he secured 58.18% of the vote against left-wing coalition candidate Jeannette Jara’s 41.82%.
The outcome represents a significant political shift for Chile, marking a departure from the current left-leaning administration of President Gabriel Boric. Both Jara and President Boric publicly conceded defeat and extended congratulations to Kast via social media platforms shortly after the results became evident.
The 59-year-old president-elect, who will assume office on March 11, 2026, centered his campaign primarily on law and order issues. His policy proposals include constructing high-security prisons, implementing stricter penalties for criminal organizations, and conducting large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants. Kast has additionally advocated for enhanced border control measures to address immigration concerns.
The runoff election commenced at 8:00 AM local time (1100 GMT) and concluded at 6:00 PM (2100 GMT), engaging over 15 million registered voters across the nation. This second round became necessary after the November 16 first-round election failed to produce a candidate with an outright majority, with Kast and Jara receiving 26.85% and 23.92% of votes respectively.
This electoral result signals a notable conservative turn in Chilean politics, potentially heralding substantial policy changes in public security and immigration enforcement in the coming years.