Q COSTARICA — With no clear favorite to win in the first round, the presidential elections kick off today, Wednesday, October 1, with 20 candidates.
Barring any surprises, a runaway win by one of the candidates, Costa Rica will enter its fifth runoff election that will take place in April, because none of the candidates is expected to secure the 40% of valid votes in February to avoid a runoff.
In fact, several of the candidates have stated publicly that they believe a runoff election is inevitable.
Compared to the last election, there are five fewer candidates in this general election cycle..
“We are working with the understanding that there will be a second round and are fully focused on demonstrating to the population, and particularly to the undecided, that under our leadership, the new Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) has the will and the capacity to drive the profound transformations the country needs, as it has done in the past,” said Juan Carlos Hidalgo, the PUSC candidate.
Meanwhile, Claudio Alpízar, a candidate from the Partido Esperanza Nacional, stated that Laura Fernandez, a candidate for the ruling party, is dreaming if she believes it will win in the first round and obtain 40 legislative seats.
In Costa Rica, passing significant legislative bills, such as constitutional reforms or important fiscal measures, typically requires a supermajority vote in the Legislative Assembly. This means that more than the simple majority of 38 deputies (out of 57 total) must agree for the bill to pass.
In fact, Alpízar points out that anything can happen at this point, as there are many undecided voters.
“We are in an electoral competition that is more like a 42-kilometer marathon than a 100-meter sprint, and therefore, many things can happen in these six months.
“I don’t see the possibility of Ms. Laura Fernández winning in the first round for now, and it could even be that, in the medium term, it will become difficult for her to qualify for the second round,” Alpízar said.
Polls by CID Gallup and Opol Consultores gave Laura Fernández of the Partido Pueblo Soberano a voting intention of around 28% at best a month ago.
Few votes to advance to the second round
If no candidate wins in the first round, history shows that anything can happen.
The last three presidents, Rodrigo Chaves (16.5%), Carlos Alvarado (22.61%), and Luis Guillermo Solís (30%) entered the runoff election as runners-up with low voting intentions compared to their rivals, and ultimately defeated the favorite to declare themselves president.
In two of the three cases, it was against the candidates of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN), who faced a kind of massive, anti-PLN sentiment.
Despite this, Álvaro Ramos, current PLN candidate, is confident that this election is about leadership, not about parties.
“I don’t feel the anti-liberación sentiment you’re suggesting. On the other hand, I think this election is about leadership, not about parties,” Ramos told this outlet.
The election will be held on February 1, 2026, and the second round, if necessary, will be held two months later on April 5.
The candidates (in alphabetical order) for the 2026 presidential elections:
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- Jose Aguilar, Partido Avanza
- Luz Mary Alpízar, Partido Progreso Social
- Claudio Alpízar, Esperanza Nacional
- Fabricio Alvarado, Partido Nueva República
- Luis Amador, Partido PIN
- Douglas Caamaño, Partido Alianza Costa Rica Primero
- Ana Virginia Calzada, Partido Centro Democrático y Social
- Ronny Castillo, Partido Aquí Costa Rica Manda
- Natalia Díaz, Partido Unidos Podemos (former Minister of the Presidency in the current administration and her second consecutive run for the presidency)
- Claudia Dobles, Partido Agenda Ciudadana (former First Lady and wife of former president Carlos Alvarado, 2018-2022)
- Eli Feinzaig, Partido Liberal Progresista
- Laura Fernández, Partido Pueblo Soberano
- Wálter Hernández, Partido Justicia Social Costarricense
- David Hernández, Partido De los Trabajadores
- Juan Carlos Hidalgo, Partido PUSC
- Boris Molina, Partido Unión Costarricense Democrática
- Álvaro Ramos, Partido PLN
- Ariel Robles, Partido Frente Amplio
- Marco Rodríguez, Partido Esperanza y Libertad
- Fernando Zamora, Partido Nueva Generación
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