SAN JOSÉ — Conservative populist Laura Fernández has secured Costa Rica’s presidency, claiming a first-round victory as she pledged to continue the political reorientation started by outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves.
With results from 96.8% of polling stations reported, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal showed Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party leading with 48.3% of the vote, while economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party had 33.4%. Ramos conceded Sunday night, saying he would serve as a “constructive opposition” while holding the new government accountable. Electoral officials will not formally declare a winner until a manual count, slated to begin Tuesday, is completed.
Candidates needed at least 40% of the total vote to win outright. Fernández, Chaves’ chosen successor, campaigned on continuing many of his policies. She has said her central objective as president will be to consolidate Costa Rica’s development to better face global challenges and foster solid economic growth. “I hope that we can immediately lower the flags of whichever political party and start working only in favor of the Costa Rican flag,” she said.
Rising crime was a major campaign issue in the historically peaceful Central American nation. While some voters blamed Chaves for not reducing violence, many backed his confrontational approach; Fernández has signaled she will press on with similar tactics to curb crime.
Fernández previously served as Chaves’ minister of national planning and economic policy and later as minister of the presidency, and she was widely seen as the frontrunner going into the election.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández, saying he was confident Costa Rica would continue to advance shared priorities such as combating narco-trafficking, addressing illegal immigration to the United States, strengthening cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and deepening economic ties.
Voters also chose members of the 57-seat National Assembly. Chaves’ party was expected to pick up seats, though it might fall short of the supermajority his movement sought—a threshold that would give it greater influence over appointments, including Supreme Court magistrates.
Twenty candidates entered the presidential race, but only Fernández and Ramos surpassed 5% in the partial results. About 3.7 million Costa Ricans were eligible to vote.
Four years earlier, Chaves had run as an outsider, accusing traditional parties of corruption amid high unemployment and a widening budget deficit. His anti-establishment message reshaped Costa Rican politics and helped propel Fernández to the presidency.