Salvadoran opposition holds primary elections ahead of 2027 general vote

El Salvador's primary opposition parties are holding their internal elections Sunday to formally select presidential candidates for the February 2027 general elections. The vote comes as incumbent President Nayib Bukele prepares to seek an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.

The conservative National Republican Alliance (Arena) and the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), parties that governed El Salvador from 1989 to 2019 but now hold little state power, are both conducting their primaries. Arena is expected to nominate a female ticket for president and vice president, potentially including former congresswoman Maytee Iraheta. The FMLN is backing public health union leader Rafael Aguirre, who has been critical of Bukele's health policies.

It remains unclear if either party will announce their results on Sunday. The 2027 elections will also determine the composition of the Legislative Assembly and municipal councils. The campaign period officially begins on October 27, 2026, and concludes on February 24, 2027.

Bukele's ruling party, Nuevas Ideas, recently confirmed him as their presidential nominee following an expedited electoral reform championed by his party, which has controlled Congress since 2021. Bukele began his second term on June 1, 2024, despite constitutional prohibitions against consecutive terms at the time. A subsequent reform, approved by Congress, moved the presidential election date to 2027, coinciding with legislative and mayoral votes.