Trump-Style Conservative Favored Against Communist Candidate As Chile Enters Presidential Run-Off

The consensus out of a closely watched presidential race in Chile is that the Right is rising and holds the upper hand, after a Sunday vote produced no clear winner between Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party, and José Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative lawyer who has expressed admiration for Donald Trump.

A run-off is now scheduled for December 14. Sunday’s election, in which neither secured the necessary majority to be declared winner, saw the left-wing Jara finish slightly ahead in the initial round.

However, Kast is favored in the run-off election given that the vote on the right was divided among several candidates, while Jara was the only one on the far Left. But now the lone contender representing the Right, Kast is expected to sweep up these additional votes in December.

The supporters of the now eliminated center-right Senator Evelyn Matthei and libertarian Congressman Johannes Kaiser are expected to get behind former lawmaker Kast for president. In total the three right-wing candidates got over 50% of the vote compared to results in the low 30% range for the left.

This would mark yet another rightward turn in Latin American politics generally, which could also suggest the broader regional influence of Trump messaging.

Kast declared on election night Chile must avoid continuing what he lambasted as “a very bad government – perhaps the worst in Chile’s democratic history.”

The Associated Press describes his staunch conservative platform as follows:

José Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative lawyer opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage, appears to be in pole position after nearly 70% of votes went to right-wing candidates in Sunday’s first round, as many Chileans worry about organized crime, illegal immigration and unemployment in one of Latin America’s safest and most prosperous nations.

Kast is a surprise front-runner who speaks fondly of aspects of the country’s period of dictatorship and broke with the traditional conservative party to found his own Republican Party.

And The New York Times talks about Kast’s ‘Trump-style’ approach:

José Antonio Kast, the main conservative contender in Chile’s presidential election and a candidate who has borrowed liberally from President Trump’s playbook, secured second place in voting Sunday, advancing to a runoff that polls predict he will win.

If the polls prove correct, Chile will join a series of Latin American countries, including Argentina and Bolivia, that have shifted to the right in recent years.

As for Jara, she has declared Kast as a ‘threat’ to the country. “Democracy in our country must be protected and valued. We worked hard to regain it, and today it is under threat.”

The “Javier Milei” trend continues…

Chile’s Presidential Election:

Jara 26.7% (Far Left)
Kast 24.1% (Right Wing)
Parisi 19.5% (Right Wing)
Kaiser 13.9% (Right Wing)
Matthei 12.6% (Right Wing)

70%+ went right wing.
Kast is a huge favorite vs. Jara in the runoff. pic.twitter.com/mlJuCpr3Nx

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) November 17, 2025

The question of rising crime on Chilean streets alongside increased immigration has been high on the agenda and featured heavily in public debate. Like with the US, Venezuela has been a name front and center in the immigration discourse.

Of Chile’s nearly 20 million people, at least 1.9 million are foreign nationals. International outlets have calculated this marks an increase of over 46% since 2018. And many of the some 330,000 estimated undocumented migrants are from Venezuela. This has sparked anger and uncertainty among Chileans, especially those in the center and which lean right.