Santiago, Chile – November 17, 2025.: Chile will be holding a candidate runoff on December 14, with the event featuring Jeannette Jara, an ex-liberal labor minister, and José Antonio Kast, a conservative leader, as the only nominees. The very first round of results turned out to be quite outrageous. Since Jara and Kast were the two candidates who most definitely received the majority of votes in a race that was so confusing, to say the least.
Jeannette Jara was the election winner with 26.8% of the total votes cast. José Antonio Kast was just behind her with 23.9%. The most surprising of all was the performance of Franco Parisi the centrist populist, who unexpectedly turned out to be the most surprising candidate. He was given almost 20% of the votes. Yet still could not get to the finals, which was a huge shock for many. The former mayor Evelyn Matthei could only get 12.5% of the votes. Which was not enough for her to get to the second round. And hence Jara and Kast were left to battle for the presidency.
The Divisive Campaigns of Polarized Elections Split Chile
Elections in Chile are indicating a clear opposition between leftist represented by Jeannette Jara and rightist represented by José Antonio Kast. Jara is associated with the Communist Party and this might be her major drawback. The country has many voters who are still skeptical about leftist politics. Since the end of Salvador Allende’s period in the 1970s. Even with her not-so-radical public tone, Jara’s party linking has made her presence among the centrist voters very limited.
José Antonio Kast is not in the least bit afraid to make use of the fear and worries people have about security and crime in Chile. He has the full support of the right-wing parties that helped him with their combined 53% of votes. Kast’s crime policy and “law and order” slogan have found supporters among the Chilean people who are feeling insecure. Besides that, the right-wing vote has been further consolidated by the endorsement coming from right-libertarian leader Johannes Kaiser to Kast.
Jeannette Jara was the one who first called for unity after the first round elections. But she also acknowledged that it would be difficult to win over the voters who supported the other candidates. Analysts, however, view her mainly as a candidate having to give her all in persuading centrist. And undecided voters to pull the lever for her in the runoff.
What Comes Next for Chile?
President Gabriel Boric praised the two candidates for being the victors in the second round and wished them good luck. The outcome of the runoff on December 14 will mean either Jeannette Jara’s leftist government or a José Antonio Kast’s right-wing administration.
It was the first time in the history of presidential runoffs that voting became mandatory, thus causing high voter participation. Such a new rule turned the election outcome completely unpredictable, as the many non-voters of habit cast their ballots for the first time.
Jara has promised policies focused on social justice, economic relief, and democratic controls. She emphasized improving workers’ rights, including successfully negotiating a reduction in the workweek during her time as labor minister. Yet Jara must distance herself enough from the current government to build broader support.
Kast aims to harness the desire for security, economic stability, and conservative values. The major point he fancies his candidacy upon is “tough on crime” and his commitment to bring back the law and order. The last time Kast challenged Boric in 2021, Kast got 44% of the vote but ended up losing.
The voting behavior of Chile in this election is a reflection of the regional trends. Where right-wing politics are gaining ground in some countries like Argentina and Bolivia. The outcome will not only decide the political future of Chile but will also determine its capability to deal with social and security matters through its policies.
The coming weeks will see intense campaigning as Jeannette Jara and José Antonio Kast try to win over voters in this sharply divided country. The December 14 vote promises to be one of the most important in Chile’s recent history.
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