1958 Costa Rican general election

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 2 February 1958.[1] Mario Echandi Jiménez of the National Union Party won the presidential election, whilst the National Liberation Party won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 64.7%.[2]

1958 Costa Rican general election

2 February 1958
Turnout	64%
Nominee Mario Echandi Jiménez Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich Jorge Rossi Chavarría Party PUN PLN PI Home state San José Alajuela Cartago Popular vote 102,851 94,788 23,910 Percentage 46.4% 42.8% 10.8%
Results by canton
President before election José Figueres PLN Elected President Mario Echandi PUN
Legislative election
Party Leader % Seats ± PLN Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich 41.7% 20 -10 PRN Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia 22.4% 11 +8 PUN Mario Echandi Jiménez 21.4% 10 +9 PI Jorge Rossi Chavarría 9.8% 3 New UCR Frank Marshall Jiménez 3.3% 1 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Echandi had become leader of the Opposition as he was elected congressman in 1953. During the tense invasion of 1955 when former president Rafael Angel Calderon's supporters and their international allies tried to invade Costa Rica's territory and were successfully repelled by José Figueres’ government, Echandi was accused of been Calderonista and been offered an office as minister from Calderón.[3] Echandi denied it but was put under investigation by the Legislative Assembly.[3] The opposition, encompassed by both Echandi's party National Union and Calderón's Independent Republican left the Assembly in protest.[3] Still Echandi was acquitted and the old loyalties before the war were starting to switch. Echandi as candidate from National Union promised to allow Calderón and family (then exiled in Mexico) to return to Costa Rica and give a general amnesty for all of Calderón's supporters. This gained him the support of the Calderonism, still a powerful political base.[3]

But, whilst PLN's opposition was closing lines, PLN was splitting. After a primary election that was won by Francisco José Orlich (one of PLN's founders and one of the leaders of the 1948 Revolution) his opponent Jorge Rossi left the party and founded a new one called Independent Party.[3] As expected, Rossi's departure and his new party caused a spoiler effect dividing the Social Democratic vote and Echandi won the election with the support of Calderonists.[3]

Echandi did fulfill his promise and allowed Calderón and family to return and passed a general amnesty for all factions.[3]

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Mario Echandi Jiménez	National Union Party	102,851	46.4
	Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich	National Liberation Party	94,788	42.8
	Jorge Rossi Chavarría	Independent Party^es	23,910	10.8
Invalid/blank votes			7,994	–
Total			229,543	100
Registered voters/turnout			358,661	64
Source: Nohlen; Election Resources

By province

Province	Echandi %	Orlich %	Rossi %
San José	49.0	39.6	11.5
Alajuela	43.0	50.7	6.3
Cartago	37.1	40.5	22.4
Heredia	45.6	44.9	9.5
Puntarenas	54.2	39.2	6.6
Limón	54.1	38.9	7.0
Guanacaste	44.8	46.7	8.5
Total	46.4	42.8	10.8

Popular Vote National Union   46.4% National Liberation   42.8% Independent   10.8%

Parliament

Popular Vote
National Liberation			41.7%
National Republican			22.4%
National Union			21.4%
Independent			9.8%
Rev. Civic Union			3.3%
Dem. Opp. Movement			0.7%
Democratic			0.5%
Democratic Action			0.3%

Seats
National Liberation			44.5%
National Republican			24.4%
National Union			22.3%
Independent			6.6%
Rev. Civic Union			2.3%

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	National Liberation Party	86,081	41.7	20	–10
	Republican Party	46,171	22.4	11	+8
	National Union Party	44,125	21.4	10	+9
	Independent Party^es	20,314	9.8	3	New
	Revolutionary Civic Union	6,855	3.3	1	New
	Democratic Opposition Movement	1,417	0.7	0	New
	Democratic Party	939	0.5	0	–11
	Democratic Action Party	614	0.3	0	New
Invalid/blank votes		22,991	–	–	–
Total		229,543	100	45	0
Registered voters/turnout		358,661	64	–	–
Source: TSE; Election Resources

By province

Province	PLN		PR		PUN		PI		UCR		MOD		PD		DAP
	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
San José	37.2	6	26.7	4	19.6	3	10.1	2	5.2	1	0.8	0	0.4	0	-	-
Alajuela	50.3	4	17.1	2	24.2	2	6.0	0	1.6	0	0.4	0	0.4	0	-	-
Cartago	40.2	3	13.9	1	17.3	1	20.1	1	4.8	0	0.7	0	0.5	0	2.5	0
Heredia	44.0	1	24.7	1	19.1	1	9.5	0	1.5	0	0.9	0	0.4	0	-	-
Puntarenas	39.2	2	26.9	2	24.9	1	6.5	0	1.2	0	0.7	0	0.7	0	-	-
Limón	40.7	1	25.5	0	26.3	1	5.4	0	1.1	0	0.7	0	0.4	0	-	-
Guanacaste	46.4	3	17.8	1	25.0	1	8.8	0	0.9	0	0.5	0	0.6	0	-	-
Total	41.7	20	22.4	11	21.4	10	9.8	3	3.3	1	0.7	0	0.5	0	0.3	0

Local governments

Alderpeople
National Liberation			49.21%
National Union			27.56%
National Republican			18.50%
Independent			4.72%

Municipal Syndics
National Liberation			82.19%
National Union			10.00%
National Republican			7.19%
Independent			0.63%

Parties		Popular vote			Alderpeople		Municipal Syndics
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/-	Total	+/-
	National Liberation Party (PLN)	88,893	42.53	-22.05	125	-38	263	-47
	National Union Party (PUN)	50,400	24.11	+18.17	70	+65	32	+32
	Republican Party (PR)	43,715	20.91	+14.96	47	+42	23	+23
	Independent Party (PI)	21,419	10.25	New	12	New	2	New
	Revolutionary Civic Union (UCR)	3,834	1.83	New	0	New	0	New
	Cartago National Republican Party (PRN-CAR)	720	0.34	New	0	New	0	New
	Limonense Independent Party (PLI)	49	0.02	New	0	New	0	New
Total		209,030	100.00	-	254	+17	320	-4
Invalid votes		20,927	9.10
Votes cast / turnout		229,957	64.78
Abstentions		125,005	35.22
Registered voters		354,962	100%
Sources[4]

Ballot

• 

References

1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
2. Nohlen, p156
3. Hernández Naranjo, Gerardo. "Reseña de las elecciones presidenciales de 1958" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. "Elecciones Regidurías 1953". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.