Chile Heads to December 14 Runoff as Jara and Kast Advance in Crime-Focused Vote

Chile set for presidential run-off between Jeannette Jara and José Antonio Kast

Santiago, Chile — Chile's presidential contest will go to a runoff on 14 December after no candidate secured an outright majority in Sunday's vote. With roughly 83% of ballots tallied, the electoral authority Servel reported leftist former labour minister Jeannette Jara leading on 26.71% and far-right leader José Antonio Kast close behind on 24.12%.

President Gabriel Boric acknowledged both candidates as the front-runners and congratulated them, calling the day "a spectacular day of democracy." Eight contenders appeared on the ballot; any candidate would have needed more than 50% to avoid a second round.

The campaign was dominated by public concern about a recent surge in murders, kidnappings and extortion in Chile — historically one of Latin America's safer countries. Analysts and officials have linked parts of the rise in violent crime to organised foreign criminal networks and to rapid population changes: Chile's migrant population has roughly doubled since 2017 and now represents about 8.8% of residents.

Jara, 51, a former minister in Boric's government, has promised to expand police recruitment, lift banking secrecy rules to target organised crime and address cost-of-living pressures. She has campaigned on raising the minimum wage, making housing more affordable and reducing the statutory work week from 45 to 40 hours.

Kast, 59, founder of the Republican Party, has proposed tough border and security measures, including walls and barriers along the Bolivian border aimed at reducing irregular migration. He has positioned his campaign as a corrective to four years of centre-left rule he described as among the worst in Chilean democratic history.

"Don't let fear harden your hearts," Jara told supporters in Santiago, urging voters not to be driven into the arms of the far right by rising crime. The remark was a direct critique of Kast's heavy security posture on the campaign trail.

Economist Franco Parisi finished an unexpected third with 19.42%. Ultra-right lawmaker Johannes Kaiser took 13.93% and former conservative mayor Evelyn Matthei received 12.70%. Kaiser conceded and endorsed Kast; Matthei soon followed, citing concerns about migration and public security. Parisi declined to endorse either finalist.

Political analyst Rodrigo Arellano of the University for Development called the results "very bad news" for Jara, noting her modest first-round share and the combined strength of opposition votes. The outcome highlights anti-incumbent and anti-communist sentiment that could shape the runoff.

Voter turnout was notably higher than in 2021: voting is mandatory for Chile's roughly 15.7 million registered voters. Citizens also elected members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on the same day. If right-wing forces win majorities in both chambers, Chile could see the presidency and Congress controlled by the right for the first time since the end of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990.

This race is being watched across the region as a barometer of the South American left's fortunes after recent setbacks in countries such as Argentina and Bolivia. Observers will be closely following the December runoff to see whether concerns about crime and migration outweigh calls for social and economic change.