Post-election: Presidential runoff in Chile
Political AnalisysOn Sunday, December 14, José Antonio Kast, candidate of the Partido Republicano, was elected president after securing 58.16% of the vote, defeating Jeannette Jara of the Unidad por Chile coalition, who obtained 41.84%. The president-elect will take office on March 11, together with the members of Congress elected in the legislative elections held on November 16.
Kast’s victory marks a shift to the political right. It can be interpreted not only as a punishment vote against the outgoing administration, but also as a societal response to demands for the restoration of order and public security, the central pillar of the winning candidate’s campaign.
Kast will govern alongside the new Congress elected on November 16, 2025. The incoming legislature presents a relatively favorable environment for the president-elect. While he will not hold an outright majority, right-wing forces are just one seat short of a majority in the Senate and two seats short in the Chamber of Deputies. This gives the president-elect a strong starting point—provided he can ensure internal cohesion within his bloc (which includes both his party’s lawmakers and members of the Partido Libertario) and bring the traditional right into alignment.
From that base, he would be well positioned to secure the remaining votes needed to advance his agenda. In the Chamber of Deputies, his primary objective will be to engage the centrist Partido de la Gente. In the Senate, he will need to negotiate with other forces closer to the country’s left.