Laura Fernández, of the ruling Sovereign People's Party (PPSO - center-right), will be the next president of Costa Rica, according to provisional data from the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
With 93.79% of ballots counted, Fernández won with 48.33% of the votes, followed by Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party (PLN - center-left) with 33.42%.
Third place is held by Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition, with 4.86% of the votes, closely followed by Ariel Robles of the Broad Front with 3.72%. Voter turnout was 69.10%.
In this way, Fernández secured the presidency in the first round after surpassing the 40% vote threshold.
Democracy Decided
"The people have spoken, democracy has decided. Costa Rica has voted for the continuity of change, a change that seeks to rescue and perfect institutions and return them to the sovereign people to create greater well-being and prosperity," stated the president-elect after the results were known.
"We have every right to celebrate the victory," she added, while criticizing the opposition, whom she labeled as "cannibalistic."
For his part, Álvaro Ramos conceded defeat and congratulated Fernández in a telephone call. "I wish Ms. Laura Fernández that God gives her much wisdom to govern, and we will support her when her decisions are for the good of the country and we will not when we disagree," he told his supporters.
More than 3.7 million Costa Ricans were called to the polls across the national territory to elect their president, two vice presidents, and the 57 deputies of the Legislative Assembly for the 2026-2031 term.
The electoral contest featured 20 candidates seeking to replace the current president, Rodrigo Chaves.
Meanwhile, the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenia Zamora Chavarría, described the elections as "exemplary, free, and authentic" and emphasized the importance of these elections for the country's political and social life.
Who Is Laura Fernández Delgado?
Laura Fernández, 39, is a political scientist who rose to the political forefront as one of the most influential officials in Rodrigo Chaves' government, serving as Minister of Planning and later as Chief of Staff. From these positions, she coordinated economic policies and administrative reforms, according to local press reports.
She built her career as a legislative advisor and official linked to state reform projects until she was appointed to Chaves' cabinet in 2022. From there, she became one of the government's most visible officials, tasked with coordinating administrative policies and promoting institutional changes, including the so-called Jaguar Law—an initiative aimed at limiting controls on public works that was ultimately halted by the courts as unconstitutional.
The elections were held in a context marked by strong public attention to security, the economy, and governance, as well as the expectation of a key voter turnout to define the country's political course for the next four years.
The deterioration of public security is an issue that has moved to the center of citizen concerns, following an increase in violence linked to drug trafficking and organized crime—an unprecedented phenomenon in Costa Rica's recent history. (CubaSí)