(Bloomberg) -- Chile’s traditional right-wing parties saw their support rebound in regional elections Sunday, while centrists won key areas including the capital Santiago, indicating a shift away from political extremes.
The center-right Chile Vamos coalition will hold six of 16 governor seats, up from one previously, according to electoral body Servel. Claudio Orrego, an independent candidate who was a member of the centrist Partido Democrata Cristiano, won in Santiago in the day’s most closely-watched contest.
The far-right Partido Republicano, whose founder Jose Antonio Kast lost to Gabriel Boric in the 2021 presidential runoff, failed to win any governor seats, as did the Partido Comunista. The center-left Partido Socialista will preside over several regions including O’Higgins and Los Rios.
Chile’s local elections this year serve as a crucial test of political coalition strength ahead of the 2025 presidential contest. Voters have been turning toward the right as concerns over crime and clandestine migration grip one of Latin America’s richest economies. Still, the regional results show the center-left has the ability to gain support even as Boric’s approval rating hovers near 30%.
The first round of regional elections took place in late October.
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