José Antonio Kast
José Antonio Kast | |
|---|---|
Kast in 2025 | |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies from East Santiago West Santiago (2002–2014) | |
| In office 11 March 2002 – 11 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Pablo Longueira (30th) María Angélica Cristi (24th) |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Bellolio (30th) District abolished (24th) |
| Constituency | 30th district (2002–2014) 24th district (2014–2018) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Antonio Kast Rist 18 January 1966 Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | Republican Party (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent Democratic Union (before 2016) Independent (2016–2019) |
| Spouse |
María Pía Adriasola Barroilhet
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 9 |
| Relatives |
|
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Signature | |
| Website | Campaign website |
José Antonio Kast Rist (born 18 January 1966), also known by his initials JAK, is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He is running for president in the 2025 Chilean general election, for the third time.
Part of the prominent Kast family, he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018, representing District 24 of Peñalolén and La Reina. Kast was a member of the Independent Democratic Union until 2016, becoming an independent politician until 2019 when he formed the conservative Chilean Republican Party and the think tank Republican Ideas. He previously ran for president as an independent candidate in the 2017 Chilean general election, and founded the of Republican Action Movement (Acción Republicana) in 2018. Kast ran for president in 2021, winning the first round and losing in the second round run-off to Gabriel Boric. He served as the president of the international organization Political Network for Values between 2022 and 2024.
Kast has been labelled as far right, and supports law-and-order messaging and free-market economic policies, while opposing abortion, same-sex marriage, divorce, birth control, euthanasia, and illegal immigration.