Elections in Colombia: A Fragmented Congress Opens the Electoral Year
On March 8, Colombia will formally kick off its electoral year with legislative elections and inter-party primaries that will shape the country’s 2026 political agenda. In a vote that will renew the entire Congreso de la República for the 2026–2030 term, projections point to a fragmented scenario with no clear majorities—an outcome that will affect both legislative governability and the race toward the Casa de Nariño.
The March 8 elections will renew the 103 seats in the Senado de la República and the 183 seats in the Cámara de Representantes for the 2026–2030 term, under an electoral system that combines national, territorial, and special constituencies.
Recent polls project a fragmented Congress in which no political force would secure its own majority to control either chamber. In this context, even if the ruling coalition emerges as the largest minority, governability will depend on its ability to negotiate and build agreements with other parties.
Colombia’s prevailing list system—open lists in most parties, with some exceptions in spaces such as the ruling coalition and the more closed opposition—contributes to diverse parliamentary representation, though it also makes cohesion more difficult.
In addition to the congressional renewal, three inter-party primaries will be held on March 8: the Frente por la Vida (center-left), the Consulta de las Soluciones (center), and the Gran Consulta por Colombia (center-right). These primaries aim to organize each political bloc’s presidential candidacies ahead of the May 31 election.
Although the leading presidential contenders are not competing directly in all of these primaries, their results will be decisive in shaping alliances and leadership ahead of the presidential race.
Current polling places ruling coalition candidate Iván Cepeda and right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella as the contenders with the highest voting intention. However, neither is projected to obtain an absolute majority in the first round, making a runoff on June 21 likely.