Dominican Republic president declares himself winner in election

The current president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, declared himself the winner of the weekend’s presidential election in a race where crime and safety were among voters’ biggest concerns.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader declared himself the winner of the weekend’s presidential election in a race where crime and safety were among voters’ biggest concerns. Official results are still pending, but the election website shows the former businessman leading by a wide margin as two of his top challengers conceded. As of Monday afternoon, Abinader had 57.46% of the votes counted. Votes have been counted in over 99% of the polling stations, according to real-time data from the electoral board, which has yet to declare a winner. However, on Sunday, both Abinader’s main rivals congratulated Abinader on his win. “Tonight I called President Luis Abinader by phone to recognize his electoral victory and wish him success in his administration,” candidate Leonel Fernandez wrote on X. “I’d like to wish luck to Luis Abinader, our country has plenty of challenges, I ask God that we overcome them as a nation,” Dominican politician Abel Martínez said in a statement. If Abinader wins, he will be in office until 2028. The 56-year-old former economist and businessman first assumed the presidency in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and has presided over one of the fastest-growing economies in the region.