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Following a conclusive final ballot, ultra-conservative figure José Antonio Kast has won the top job in Chile.

A Resounding Win

After over 99% of votes tallied, Kast secured 58.17% of the ballots, beating leftist former minister Jeannette Jara, who obtained 41.83%.

This represents Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having previously been beaten by the sitting president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote.

Agenda Focused On Security and Immigration

Noted for his staunch socially conservative views and admiration for the period of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's electoral bid was primarily built on promises to tackle growing crime and radically reduce migration.

He repeatedly cited immigrants, particularly the roughly 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. During the race, he gave an stern warning for them to leave before the new term begins or face removal.

His plans included U.S.-style measures such as constructing holding facilities, border walls, security fences, and bolstering the military presence on the northern frontier.

Part of a Continental Wave

Numerous analysts view Kast's victory as fitting into a wider right-wing shift in South America, similar to recent political results in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Yet, other analysts also frame it as a continuation of the established swing of power between left-wing and right governments since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Governing Lacking a Strong Majority

Despite his decisive popular vote triumph, Kast will not have an clear majority in Congress, not in the Chamber of Deputies nor the Senate, even if various rightwing parties are combined together.

This political reality may complicate his agenda, such as a pledge to reduce public spending by a significant sum within 18 months—a measure for which he has not detailed specifics.

"There are numerous questions about what a Kast government will operate that we don't know because he has not explained how he will achieve them," noted a political professor.

The analyst continued, "In terms of the economy, it is highly probable we will see adjustment measures common for the right-wing. But the area with much less ambiguity is on security policy, because that has been his central theme throughout the campaign."