The far-right populist José Antonio Kast is on course for a convincing victory over former protest leader Gabriel Boric in the first round of Chile’s presidential election.

With more than 90% of the votes counted, Kast led Boric by 28% to 25.6%. The two will meet in a runoff next month. Chileans also voted for a new congress in the general election.

Polling showed far-right Republican party candidate Kast had pushed into an unlikely lead over the last month, and he has ultimately been able to draw support from across the right to take victory in this first round.

Kast is a devout Catholic and father of nine who opposes marriage equality, abortion and political correctness. He has run a campaign focusing on migration, public security and conservative social values.

The Broad Front’s Boric, by contrast, is a 35-year-old former student leader who espouses social liberties and a green post-pandemic recovery.

The result suggests that Kast’s hardline stance on several big issues resonated more with voters than Boric’s plans to expand and improve Chile’s social welfare system.