Chile presidential election heads to runoff between Jara and Kast
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Jeannette Jara and Jose Antonio Kast will face off in Chile’s presidential runoff after neither secured 50% of the vote in a polarized first round.
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Supporters of presidential candidate Jeannette Jara of the Unidad por Chile coalition watch results come in during general elections in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, November 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Chile’s presidential election will move to a runoff on December 14, after none of the eight candidates secured the required 50% of the vote in Sunday’s first round. The second round will see left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara face off against far-right contender Jose Antonio Kast in what is shaping up to be one of the most polarized runoffs in recent history.
With 83% of ballots counted, Jara led with 26.7%, followed closely by Kast with 24.1%. While economist Franco Parisi came in third, only the top two candidates advance to the next stage of voting.
Jara, representing the Communist Party and formerly serving as labor minister in President Gabriel Boric’s administration, now faces the challenge of consolidating support beyond her left-wing base. Most of the eliminated candidates leaned to the right, complicating her chances of capturing centrist or conservative votes.
Thanking her supporters, Jara called for unity and encouraged a campaign driven by “a message of hope and the future.”
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Kast gains momentum with right-wing endorsements
Kast, leader of the Republican Party and known for his hardline stance on security, appeared with former presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei after the results. Matthei, who earned 12.8% of the vote and placed fifth, swiftly endorsed Kast, potentially consolidating a significant bloc of right-wing support.
In his remarks, Kast criticized the current government and promised to “solve the problems that Gabriel Boric’s administration has failed to address.”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric congratulated both Jara and Kast for reaching the second round and urged them to conduct a debate focused on real solutions. “I hope for a debate with high standards, centered on addressing the country’s main challenges,” he stated in a national address.
The Chilean presidential election is unfolding amid heightened public concern over rising crime rates and immigration, two key issues that are likely to dominate the discourse leading up to the December 14 runoff.
