Ruling party’s Laura Fernández emerges as clear front-runner in Costa Rica election
The early margin puts Fernández within reach of the 40% threshold required to win outright and avoid an April runoff
With 61.50% of the vote counted, Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party was leading with 50.23% of the vote, compared with 32.12% for social democrat Álvaro Ramos, who was running second, according to provisional data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). Roughly 3.7 million Costa Ricans were eligible to vote Sunday to choose a successor to President Rodrigo Chaves and renew the 57-member Legislative Assembly. Voter turnout was estimated at about 66%, in a day shaped by concerns over drug-related violence and widespread voter engagement, as early results began to roll in from across the country.
The early margin puts Fernández within reach of the 40% threshold required to win outright and avoid an April runoff. The campaign unfolded in a polarized media environment, with outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves—barred from re-election—remaining the central political protagonist and frequently attacking a splintered opposition field that entered election day with roughly 20 candidates.
Campaigns had prepared parallel election-night events in San José: Fernández’s team gathered supporters at a hotel venue for a post-results address, while Ramos planned a separate speech elsewhere in the capital. Claudia Dobles—running under the Citizen Action banner within the broader opposition coalition—called supporters to meet at the “Mercadito La California” food hall downtown.
Beyond Ramos and Dobles, the opposition landscape includes left-wing legislator Ariel Robles, whose party has been prominent in congressional battles, and lawyer José Miguel Aguilar, who has drawn attention due to family ties to El Salvador’s president.
A regional political footnote also surfaced: Nayib Bukele publicly congratulated Fernández as “president-elect” before the count was conclusive, prompting commentary in regional media.
The vote also renews Costa Rica’s 57-seat legislature, which will shape the next administration’s ability to legislate on security, judicial reforms and cost-of-living measures. As counting continues, the dominant question remains whether Fernández can sustain her advantage through later reporting and secure a first-round win.
