Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is headed to a second term following general elections on Sunday, May 20. He declared victory after his top competitors conceded early in the night as he held a strong leader in early vote tallies.
The outcome reinforced both Abinader’s anti-corruption agenda, the government’s crackdown along its shared border with Haiti and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing the Dominican Republic's violence-stricken neighbor. Such policies are only likely to continue in his next term.
Abinader is one of the most popular leaders in the Americas. The early results showed him with nearly 60% of the votes. His competitors, former President Leonel Fernández and Mayor Abel Martínez, conceded early in the night.
Abinader supporters in his campaign headquarters started celebrating early on, blowing horns and cheering. In his victory speech, Abinader delivered a nationalistic message promising change and anti-corruption measures. He notably spoke little about of the government’s harsh measures on Haitian migrants and the crisis in its island neighbor. "The message from the results is clear, the changes that we’ve made are going to be irreversible," Abinader said. "In the Dominican Republic, the best is yet to come."
While opposition parties reported a number of small irregularities, voting largely ran smoothly. Many of the 8 million eligible voters are still traumatized by an electoral authority decision to suspend the 2020 municipal elections due to a technical glitch, prompting what appears to be high voter turnout.
The president’s Modern Revolutionary Movement was also expected to win a majority in the Dominican Republic’s congress, which would allow him to push through changes to the constitution. It also would allow him to further his anti-corruption and economic agendas, which have earned him the approval of many in the Caribbean nation.
Much of the president's popularity has been fueled by the crackdown on Haitian migrants. The Dominican Republic has long taken a hard line with Haitian migrants but such policies have ramped up since Haiti entered a free fall following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. As gangs have terrorized Haitians, the Dominican government has built a Trump-like border wall along the 250-mile (400-kilometer) border. He has also repeatedly urged the United Nations to send an international force to Haiti, saying such action "cannot wait any longer."