A mere 20 days before the official primary elections that will determine the presidential candidate for the leftist coalition, the race between Jeannette Jara and Carolina Tohá, both former ministers under President Gabriel Boric vying for the presidency, has tightened significantly. Various opinion polls now show them in a statistical tie just three weeks before the primary elections on June 29th. Recent surveys, including one by Cadem, suggest that Jeannette Jara from the Communist Party and Humanist Action has inched slightly ahead of Carolina Tohá from the Democratic Socialism Party. This development falls within the margin of error, but it has raised concerns within the Tohá camp.
Tohá supporters are particularly worried about Jeannette Jara’s surge in popularity because they believe she is the most competitive candidate capable of facing the right-wing in the first round of the presidential election. There is a prevailing sentiment that if either the communist candidate or Gonzalo Winter from the Broad Front win the primary, it could lead to a final election showdown between José Antonio Kast from the Republican Party and Evelyn Matthei from Chile Vamos. This potential scenario is prompting calls for a strategic shift within the Tohá campaign.
Senator Juan Luis Castro of the Socialist Party emphasized the urgency for Carolina Tohá’s campaign team to reassess their strategy in light of the highly competitive landscape, stressing the need for immediate results to secure victory.
Senator Pedro Araya from the Democratic Party also emphasized the importance of adapting the campaign strategy to ensure success in the primaries. He suggested enhancing Tohá’s presence not only in traditional campaigning but also on social media platforms. Araya underlined the necessity of streamlining communication efforts to avoid messaging mishaps that could weaken Tohá’s ability to unify the center-left.
While some coalition leaders urge a strategy overhaul in response to Jara’s momentum in the polls, others advise caution. Representative Juan Santana from the Socialist Party highlighted the ongoing nature of polling and recommended maintaining the current strategy of uniting various factions in support of Tohá. Santana praised the recent endorsement from the Christian Democrats and emphasized the importance of staying the course while remaining open to continuous campaign evaluations.
From the Communist Party, there is satisfaction with Jeannette Jara’s rising profile in the polls. The party sees this as a validation of their nationwide efforts to promote Jara as the ideal candidate to represent the leftist coalition. Lautaro Carmona, the Communist Party president, highlighted the significance of Jara’s lead over Tohá in recent surveys, attributing it to their extensive grassroots campaigning efforts.
Constanza Martínez, president of the Broad Front, observed that none of the official candidates had surged ahead in the polls. She emphasized the narrow margins between candidates and expressed confidence in the coalition’s ability to defy poll predictions, drawing on past experiences of being underestimated before eventual victories.
The latest financial reports from the Electoral Service reveal interesting dynamics in campaign funding among the contenders. Gonzalo Winter leads the pack with significant contributions, followed by Jaime Mulet and Carolina Tohá. Notably, Tohá’s funding is set to receive a substantial boost from the Democratic Party, signaling continued support for her candidacy. Jeannette Jara lags in funding, but the Communist Party has pledged a substantial injection of resources into her campaign.
As the primary elections draw closer, the pressure mounts on the candidates and their teams to navigate the evolving political landscape strategically. The outcome of these primaries will not only shape the leftist coalition’s presidential candidate but also set the stage for a fiercely contested general election. The shifting dynamics underscore the necessity for adaptability and innovation in campaign strategies to secure victory in a closely contested race.
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