José Antonio Kast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Antonio Kast
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Kast in 2025
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| 38th President-elect of Chile | |
| Assuming office 11 March 2026 |
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| Succeeding | Gabriel Boric |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 11 March 2002 – 11 March 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Pablo Longueira |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | District 30 (2002–2014) District 24 (2014–2018) |
| Member of the Buin City Council | |
| In office 6 December 1996 – 6 December 2000 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Antonio Kast Rist
18 January 1966 Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | PRCh (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations |
UDI (1996–2016) Independent (2016–2019) |
| Spouse |
Pía Adriasola
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 9, including José Antonio Kast Adriasola |
| Parent | Michael Kast (father) |
| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Occupation | Lawyer • Politician |
| Signature |  |
José Antonio Kast Rist (born January 18, 1966), often called JAK, is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He is the President-elect of Chile, having won the 2025 general election.
Born in Santiago, Chile, to a family from Germany, he was a member of the Chilean parliament (Chamber of Deputies) from 2002 to 2018. He represented different areas during his time there. Kast was part of the Independent Democratic Union party until 2016. He then became an independent politician. In 2019, he started his own party, the Chilean Republican Party, and a group called "Republican Ideas" that studies public policy.
He first ran for president in 2017 as an independent. In 2018, he created the Republican Action Movement. Kast ran for president again in 2021. He won the first round but lost the second round to Gabriel Boric. From 2022 to 2024, he led an international group called the Political Network for Values.
During his campaigns, Kast was known for his direct way of speaking. He held traditional views on many social topics. He also spoke about the importance of strong leadership and managing who enters the country.
In 2025, during his third presidential campaign, he showed a more flexible approach. He mentioned former president Patricio Aylwin, who was known for reforms. This helped him gain support from a wider range of political groups.
Some news outlets and experts have described his political views as very conservative. They have compared his ideas to conservative movements in other countries, like the Reagan era in the United States. These comparisons often focus on his focus on traditional values and strong national policies.
About José Antonio Kast
Early Life and Education
José Antonio Kast was born in Santiago, Chile. His parents, Michael Kast Schindele and Olga Rist Hagspiel, came from Bavaria, Germany. His father served in the German Army during World War II.
His parents moved to Chile in December 1950. They settled in Buin, near Santiago. In 1962, the family started a small business called Cecinas Bavaria. This company made sausages and became important for the family's finances. José Antonio was one of ten children.
Many members of the Kast family have been involved in public service. His brother, Miguel Kast, was an economist. He held important government jobs during a past period of military rule in Chile. José Antonio Kast is also the uncle of Senator Felipe Kast.
Kast studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. There, he joined a student group called the Guildist Movement. He even ran for president of the university's student body. As a student, he supported a proposal in 1988 to continue the military government for more years.
In 1990, Kast started his own law firm. He also managed a real estate company owned by his family during the 1990s.
Political Career Highlights
Early Public Service
From 1996 to 2000, Kast served as a councilman in Buin. In 2001, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, representing San Bernardo. He was a leader in the Independent Democratic Union party before leaving to run for president. During his time as a Deputy, he received support from religious leaders. He was known for his traditional views on social and family matters.
Presidential Campaigns
On August 18, 2017, Kast officially became an independent presidential candidate. He gathered over 43,000 signatures to support his run. He received backing from various conservative and nationalist groups. Kast campaigned for lower taxes and less government involvement. He also focused on strong border management. His views on a past military government caused some debate. He suggested special considerations for elderly prisoners with health issues.
In the 2017 presidential election, he received over 523,000 votes, which was 7.93% of the total. This placed him in fourth place. For the second round of the election, he supported Sebastián Piñera, who later won. Kast also spoke about the importance of faith and suggested that schools should offer religious education if students wanted it.
Forming Political Movements
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Regarding international relations, Kast suggested stricter border controls with Bolivia. He believed this would help in the fight against illegal activities. In 2018, he also asked the government to reconsider its relationship with France. This was after France granted asylum to a former guerrilla.
In March 2018, Kast visited several Chilean universities. At Arturo Prat University, he was scheduled to speak but faced protests. He also stated that other universities tried to prevent him from speaking.
Kast supported Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 Brazilian election. In April 2018, he started a political movement called Republican Action.
In September 2019, questions arose about money transferred to companies in Panama. Kast acknowledged these companies existed. He stated they belonged to his brother, Christian Kast, not him. He also defended the right of Chileans to invest in other countries.
In May 2019, he founded the 'Republican Ideas' group. In June 2019, he created the Chilean Republican Party. He expressed concerns about violence during the 2019 Chilean protests. He believed these acts were organized and not just a social movement. As public approval for the protests decreased, Kast gained support from Chileans who opposed the violence.
During the 2020 Chilean national referendum to change the Constitution of Chile, he strongly supported rejecting the change. This option received 21.72% of the votes. The constitutional change was approved by 78.28% of the vote.
In the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election, Kast's party joined with another group called Chile Vamos. They formed a list of candidates for the election called Vamos por Chile. This list received 20.6% of the votes. This was less than one-third of the Constitutional Convention. Kast supported Teresa Marinovic, a candidate whose views matched his own. She won with many votes, helping other candidates from their group get elected.
In the 2022 Chilean constitutional referendum, the Republican Party officially supported the "Reject" option. This option won over the "Approve" option. This time, voting was mandatory, and there were fewer restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Presidential Campaign
In 2018, Kast announced his intention to run for president in the 2021 Chilean general election. For this election, he ran under his own Republican Party. This was different from 2017, when he ran as an independent. Kast formed the Christian Social Front, a group that included candidates from his party and the Christian Conservative Party.
Kast's campaign proposals included supporting pardons for former officials of advanced age. He also proposed strengthening traditional family values. He suggested building more prisons and focusing on national security.
During his campaign, Kast used the slogan "make Chile a great country." This was compared to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Some of his supporters wore similar clothing at his events. Kast did not join the Chile Vamos presidential primary. Sebastián Sichel won that primary and was initially seen as the main right-wing candidate. However, after the first television debate, Kast's support grew, and he became the leading right-wing candidate.
He received the most votes in the first round of the election, nearly 28% of the total. This qualified him for the run-off election against Gabriel Boric. After his success in the first round, Kast gained support from most of Chile's right-wing groups, including President Sebastián Piñera.
Internationally, Kast found support from other conservative figures. He signed the Madrid Charter, a document that criticizes certain left-wing groups in Latin America. Other signers included Rafael López Aliaga of Peru and Javier Milei of Argentina. On November 30, 2021, Kast made international connections during his campaign. He met in Washington, D.C., with Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. He also met with the Chilean ambassador to the Organization of American States and American business leaders.
On December 18, the former presidential candidate Franco Parisi endorsed José Antonio Kast. This followed a party vote where members chose to support Kast with 61.41% of the votes.
In the second round of the election, held on December 19, Kast received 44.13% of the votes. He lost to Gabriel Boric, who received 55.87% of the votes and became Chile's new president. On December 19, 2021, Kast accepted his defeat and promised to work constructively with the new government. Kast was the first candidate since 1999 to lead in the first round but lose the run-off.
Leading the Political Network for Values
Between March 2022 and December 2024, Kast served as president of an international conservative group. This group was called the "Political Network for Values."
Constitutional Council 2023
Before the election, the Republican Party opposed creating the Constitutional Council. This was after the "Reject" option won in the previous vote. However, the party decided it was important to participate once the process could not be stopped.
In 2023, the Constitutional Council was formed to write a new Constitution. This council had 51 members. Chileans elected 34 members from the right and 16 from the left in May of that year. In November, the party's leaders decided to support the "In Favor" option in the December vote. However, the "Against" option won. After this defeat, José Antonio Kast acknowledged that the campaign had not succeeded.
2025 Presidential Campaign and Election
On November 29, 2024, the Republican Party confirmed José Antonio Kast as its candidate for the first round of the 2025 presidential election. The party chose not to join other center-right groups for primary elections.
In August 2025, Kast officially registered his campaign. His slogan was La fuerza del cambio ("The Strength of Change"). His campaign focused on improving government, maintaining public order, and boosting the economy. He emphasized these goals within a democratic system.
During this time, lawyer Cristián Valenzuela led Kast's communications team. They worked to strengthen ties between the Republican Party and other conservative groups before the election.
Kast finished second in the first round of voting held on November 16, winning nearly 24% of the vote. He then faced left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara in a runoff election held on December 14. Experts believed that a Kast presidency could lead to more market-friendly policies. Other right-wing candidates, Kaiser and Matthei, supported Kast for the runoff. Kast was elected president with more than 58% of the vote.
Political Views
Kast has been described as very conservative, a label he does not always agree with. He has expressed views that focus on strong leadership for Chile. Kast is known for supporting law-and-order policies and free market ideas. On social issues, he holds traditional views. He also has different perspectives on climate change compared to the scientific consensus.
Internationally, Kast has shown support for leaders who prioritize national independence, strong security, or market-focused reforms. These leaders include Nayib Bukele, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Javier Milei, and Giorgia Meloni.
On immigration, Kast believes that managing borders effectively is important for keeping social order. He opposes unauthorized entry into the country. Kast's ideas for border security have been compared to those of U.S. president Donald Trump. Regarding culture, Kast aims to protect Chile's European heritage and national unity. He believes this is important against certain left-wing ideas about indigenous groups and multiculturalism.
In matters of public safety, Kast argues that the government must act with clear authority. This is especially true in areas facing ongoing violence. He has supported strengthening the national police force, the Carabineros de Chile. He also wants to increase the government's presence in areas where public trust needs to be restored. Kast's view of Chile's past military government focuses on its economic and institutional changes. He believes that historical evaluations should be fair and distinguish between individual actions and the broader changes in the country. He has supported humanitarian considerations for elderly or very ill prisoners. He emphasizes that such decisions must always follow legal and constitutional rules.
Personal Life
Kast is married to María Pía Adriasola. They have nine children together. He is a practicing Catholic and a member of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement.
See also
In Spanish: José Antonio Kast para niños
