2026 Colombian presidential election

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2026 Colombian presidential election
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  2022 May 2026

Incumbent President

Gustavo Petro
Humane Colombia



Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Colombia in May 2026. Incumbent President Gustavo Petro, elected in 2022, is constitutionally barred from seeking a consecutive second term. [1]

Contents

Background

In the previous presidential election in 2022, as none of the presidential nominees obtained at least 50% of the votes in the first round, a runoff was held between the top two candidates, Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández Suárez. [2] Petro won the run-off, becoming the first left-wing candidate to be elected president of Colombia since the country's independence in 1810. [3] [4] [5] The results for the second round saw the lowest record of spoiled and blank ballots in over 20 years and a turnout of 58.17%, the highest since 1998. [6]

Since taking office, Petro and his allies have been involved in several scandals. [1] One scandal, nicknamed "Nannygate", involved the publishing of recordings of then ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, speaking with Petro's Chief of Staff, Laura Sarabia, about possible illegal financing and threats of revealing compromising information on campaign rivals. Both of were forced to resign from their positions as a result. The scandal lowered approval of Petro, being viewed by the public as an indication of corruption inside the government. [7] [8] His presidential approval rating dropped to a low of 26% in July 2023 according to a Datexco survey. [9]

In 2025, Petro fired his entire cabinet to reassess his previous choices in light of his appointment of Armando Benedetti as Chief of Staff and promotion of 30-year-old Laura Sarabia to Foreign Minister; both were embroiled in a campaign finance scandal. [10] His key labor and healthcare reforms stalling at the legislative branch, [11] the arrest of his son in a money laundering scandal involving campaign financing, [12] [13] and the scandal involving his ministers contributed to a decrease in public support for the president. [14] [15]

Electoral system

Colombian presidents are elected for four-year terms using a two-round system; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a runoff is held between the top two candidates. [16] The vice president is elected on the same ticket as the president. Presidents are limited to a single four-year term, and Article 191 of the constitution requires candidates to be Colombian by birth and at least thirty years old. In line with the constitution, Colombian citizens by birth or by naturalization, aged eighteen or older have the right to vote. Several scenarios can cause the loss of the right to vote, as outlined in the constitution. Citizens in detention centers can vote from the establishments determined by the National Civil Registry. The civil registry inscription is not automatic, and citizens must go to the regional office of the registry to register. [17] Legislative Act No. 2 of 2015 established that the runner-up in the presidential elections is given a seat in the Senate and their vice president candidate becomes a member of the Chamber of Representatives. [18]

In order to be accepted as a candidate, applicants must either have the backing of a recognized political party in order to run as their official candidate, or to collect a minimum number of signatures in order to run as an independent candidate.[ citation needed ]

Potential candidates

Historic Pact primaries

Democratic Centre primaries

Independent candidates

Colombia Reborn party

Dignity and Commitment

New Liberalism

Radical Change

Declined or deceased candidates

Opinion polls

2025

Fieldwork datePollstersSampleCandidatesLead
Davila Galán Fajardo López Cabal Botero Luna Pizarro Gaviria Quintero Vargas Bolívar Oviedo Uribe Peñalosa Caicedo Muhamad Murillo Valencia Corcho Romero Cepeda OthersBlankDon't know/No answerNone
11 August Miguel Uribe Turbay dies, two months after being shot in Bogotá
21 - 26 April Guarumo/EcoAnalítica 215911.6%4.0%11.4%4.7%4.5%0.2%1.2%2.6%-3.8%5.6 %12.6%1.5%4.5%0.9%0.5%--1.0%2.51.1%3.5%4.2%7.2%4.2%5.9%2.2%
21 - 25 MarchInvamer [66] 12008.3%7.8%9.5%6.8%4.2%-0.9%3.7%4.4%4.7%7.3%11.8%0.4%4.8%1.2%1.81.1%0.2%0.8%0.9%-4.4%-4.1%--2.83%
18 - 20 MarchCNC [67] 156413.6%7.4%13.4%9.5%---7.4%-6.2%7.9%10.1%-6.9%---------2.5%3.4%11.6%3.0%
10 - 13 FebruaryGuarumo/EcoAnalítica [68] 214015.1%4%11.5%4.6%3.5%-1.3%4.1%0.2%3.1%5.2%11.9%1.4%3%--1%0.8%1.2%2.2%--0.9%7.1%2.7%4.7%2.2%
27 - 29 JanuaryCNC [69] 151312.7%7.8%11.8%6.9%5.6%-1.7%4.3%-4.7%6.2%6.7%4.8%6.8%---1.8%-3.1%---5.0%2.1%9.7%3.1%

2024

Fieldwork datePollstersSampleCandidatesLead
Dávila Galán Fajardo López Cabal Botero Pizarro Gaviria Quintero Márquez Vargas Bolívar Oviedo Uribe Noguera Muhamad Murillo Valencia OthersBlankDon't know/No answerNone
9 - 12 DecemberGuarumo/EcoAnalítica [70] 201813.1%5.0%14.5%5.7%3.0%0.4%3.7%0.7%2.8%-5.0%8.9%1.5%3.2%-0.3%0.3%0.8%-5.6%3.6%7.7%2.2%
22 - 26 NovemberInvamer [71] 12008.6%7.3%15.4%12,6%1,6%-4.1%-6.1%-9.2%8.6%5.5%3.1%-1.2%4.5%0.9%2.7%6.3%-17.4%2.83%
18 - 21 NovemberCNC [72] 200011.4%10.0%13.4%9.7%5.8%-6.8%2.5%5.0%-8.0%6.5%-4.2%--3.1%--2.4%1.9%9.4%2.7%
25 - 28 OctoberInvamer [73] 15047.7%9.7%10.5%10.9%3.6%-5.1%-2.6%4.9%4.3%6.5%-5.4%--1.4%-1.1%0.6%7.5%12.9%2.53%
7 - 11 SeptemberGuarumo/EcoAnalítica [74] 201212.2%5.6%10.1%9.4%6.4%-4.1%3.4%4.6%4.5%2.7%6.2%-1.3%3%--1.4%-5.3%1.3%9.2%2.2%
26 August- 4 SeptemberCNC [75] 13047.5%10.7%8.3%8.6%4.5%-5.4%-1.7%3.0%8.1%4.3%-6.7%-1%2.2%-22.3%-5.9%22.3%2.7%
31 July - 4 AugustGuarumo/EcoAnalítica [76] 20239.6%3.1%9.6%7.1%4.4%-3.6%2.1%2.6%3%2.6%4.3%1.3%0.8%3.0%-1.4%1.4%-7.2%2.5%12.6%2.2%
22 - 26 JuneGuarumo/EcoAnalítica [77] 19988.1%6.2%6.9%8.8%2.8%-5.5%1.5%2.3%4.2%2.7%3.5%2.0%1.3%3.3%-0.5%0.7%-5.9%4.1%8.5%2.2%
7 - 9 MayCNC [78] 1030-13%12%9%5%-8%3%5%7%2%6%2%4%-1%--14%5%4%14%3.4%

A poll conducted by market research firm Guarumo and Ecoanalitica in February 2025 showed independent candidate Vicky Dávila leading with 15.1%, followed by president Petro's ally Gustavo Bolívar at 11.9%. It also showed former presidential candidate and centrist Sergio Fajardo at 11.5%. Meanwhile, 7.1% polled said that they would not vote for any of the candidates. [79]

Another poll conducted by the National Consulting Center in March 2025, commissioned and financed by Semana magazine, showed a close lead between Dávila with 13.6% and Fajardo with 13.4%, as well as Bolívar at 10.1%. The poll also showed Fajardo leading the voting intention with 35.1% against Dávila's 31.7% in a run-off. [80]

Notes

  1. Muhamad was born in Barranquilla, Atlántico, but resides in Bogotá, D.C.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Individuals listed below have been mentioned as potential 2026 presidential candidates in at least two reliable media sources in the last six months.
  3. Confirmed their presidential candidacy

References

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