Chilean communist politician Jeannette Jara won her party’s “progressive primary” on Sunday with over 60% of the vote, securing her place as the leftist government’s official presidential candidate in the upcoming November 16 general election. Her victory marks the first time in a quarter-century that the Chilean Communist Party has fielded a presidential contender.
Jara, 51, previously served as Labor Minister under far-left President Gabriel Boric until April 2025. Her candidacy was supported by the “Unity for Chile” coalition, which includes Boric’s Broad Front, the Party for Democracy, and the Social Green Regionalist Federation. With Boric constitutionally barred from immediate re-election, Jara will carry the banner of the ruling bloc.
Her competitors in Sunday’s primary included former Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, who received 28.07% of the vote, as well as Congressmen Gonzalo Winter and Jaime Mulet, who garnered 9.02% and 2.74%, respectively. The primary saw low voter turnout, with just 1.37 million participants out of more than 15 million eligible Chileans.
The conservative “Let’s Go Chile” coalition did not participate in the primary, having earlier selected Evelyn Matthei as their candidate. Two other conservative candidates—José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party and Johannes Kaiser of the National Libertarian Party—have also declared their intentions to run. They are joined by Franco Parisi of the center-right Party of the People.
Jara’s platform aligns closely with former socialist President Michelle Bachelet, emphasizing expanded welfare programs, international non-alignment, and strong opposition to what she called “ultra-right populism.” In her post-election speech, she thanked Bachelet and promised “not to sell empty promises or facile solutions.”
Jara joined the Communist Youth at age 14 and became a full party member in 1999. She has held various public administration roles since and framed her campaign as a continuation of Boric’s policies. She promised to maintain Chile’s independence on the world stage while defending “human rights wherever they are violated.”
If no candidate secures over 50% of the vote in November, a runoff election will be held on December 14 between the top two contenders.
