Colombia’s political landscape is shifting as the country prepares for its first-round presidential election on May 31, with several candidates gaining momentum following a series of internal party consultations on Sunday, March 9, 2026. The results have reshaped the race, setting the stage for a competitive contest between the left and right.
Senator Paloma Valencia, backed by former President Álvaro Uribe, emerged as a frontrunner after securing 45.7% of the votes in the consultations, garnering over 3.2 million votes. Her strong showing positions her to challenge leftist Iván Cepeda and far-right candidate Abelardo De la Espriella in the upcoming election. Valencia easily defeated eight other contenders from the center-right, right, and far-right in what was known as La Gran Consulta.
A surprise contender in the race is Juan Daniel Oviedo, the former director of the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). While he finished second in La Gran Consulta, his performance exceeded expectations, receiving over 1.2 million votes – more than double the support Claudia López received in the Consulta de las Soluciones and four times the votes of Roy Barreras in the Frente por la Vida. Oviedo’s unexpected success is attracting voters from both the center and the right.
The results weren’t positive for all candidates. Former Senator Roy Barreras suffered a significant setback, receiving less than 300,000 votes in the Frente por la Vida consultation, falling behind Daniel Quintero. This outcome makes it difficult for Barreras to compete for space within the progressive movement alongside Iván Cepeda, who won the Pacto Histórico consultation in October with over 1.5 million votes and is now a clear frontrunner for the first round.
The center-left also faced challenges. Claudia López’s narrow victory over Leonardo Huerta in the consultation garnered just over 500,000 votes, a result insufficient to revitalize the center’s presidential aspirations. Sergio Fajardo did not participate in the consultations.
On the left, the Pacto Histórico, the party of President Petro and candidate Iván Cepeda, solidified its position in the Senate. The party secured over 4 million votes and is projected to gain approximately 25 seats in the upper chamber, a significant increase from the 2,8 million votes and 20 seats it held four years ago. The Centro Democrático, its main opposition, also increased its vote share and secured 17 seats (up from 13 in 2022). The centenarian Liberal Party is expected to develop into the third largest political force in the Senate, with around 13 seats.
Several politicians with a strong social media presence failed to secure seats in Congress. Among those who were unsuccessful are Angélica Lozano, Katherine Miranda, Inti Asprilla, Jorge Robledo, Juan Carlos Losada, José David Name, and Lina Garrido.
The far-right also made gains, with the Salvación Nacional party surpassing the minimum threshold to enter the Senate, receiving nearly 700,000 votes. The party received support from presidential candidate Abelardo De la Espriella, who celebrated the election results, stating, “Today we achieved something extraordinary; despite the attacks and the smear campaign, today we have a bench.”
