On 30 July 2019, the Dominican Republic learned that Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo would run for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidacy. Previously, President Danilo Medina, had spoken of giving his support to former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito or former Education Minister Andrés Navarro. But at the last minute, Castillo entered the race. He was chosen by survey.
The standing government cabinet, almost in full, would stand by Castillo and campaign for him as the man who guaranteed the continuing of President Medina’s government. Castillo would then go on to defeat Medina’s arch-rival, three times President Leonel Fernández, 48.72% to 47.29. With the votes counted, the JCE bulletin on the primary revealed the count was: Gonzalo Castillo 911,923 votes to Fernández’s 885,233 votes, a difference of 26,690 votes. The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has yet to announce the official results, though.
An editorial in Diario Libre observes that Dominican voters want new faces. It points out the high number of voters who touched the key for “none” in the primary of 6 October sends the message to the political parties that the candidacies presented are not acceptable.
Gonzalo Castillo did a remake of express candidate-making in the Dominican Republic. First was National District Mayor David Collado, who entered the city race in March 2016 and defeated three-term mayor Roberto Salcedo in the May 2016 election.
Election experts have said that millennials and independents will decide the 2020 general elections.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
8 October 2019