# 2018 Paraguayan general election

General elections were held in Paraguay on 22 April 2018. President Horacio Cartes and Vice-President Juan Afara of the Colorado Party were not eligible for re-election. The presidential elections were won by the Colorado Party's Mario Abdo Benítez, who defeated Efraín Alegre of the GANAR alliance. The Colorado Party also won the most seats in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The new President and Vice-President took office on 15 August 2018 and left office in August 2023.

## Electoral system

The President of Paraguay is elected in one round of voting by plurality. The 80 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by closed list proportional representation in 18 multi-member constituencies based on the departments. The 45 members of the Senate are elected from a single national constituency using closed list proportional representation.

## Opinion polls

| Polling firm | Date | Sample size | ANR-PC | GANAR | Other/None | Don't know/ No answer | Margin of error |
| ABC Color | 6 April 2018 | Unknown | 51.9% | 35.8% | – | – | – |
| La República | March 2018 | 1,300 | 42.2% | 46.3% | 3.5% | 8.0% | – |

## Results
### President

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Mario Abdo Benítez | Colorado Party | 1,206,067 | 48.96 |
| | Efraín Alegre | Great Renewed National Alliance | 1,110,464 | 45.08 |
| | Juan Bautista Ybáñez | Paraguay Green Party | 84,045 | 3.41 |
| | Jaro Anzoátegui | National Artists' Movement | 15,490 | 0.63 |
| | Atanasio Galeano | Popular Patriotic Movement Party | 9,908 | 0.40 |
| | Ramón Ernesto Benítez | Patriotic Reserve Movement | 9,361 | 0.38 |
| | Pedro Almada | Broad Front Party | 8,590 | 0.35 |
| | Efraín Enríquez | National Sovereign Movement | 7,291 | 0.30 |
| | Celino Ferreira | Movimiento Civico Nacional Unamonos | 6,295 | 0.26 |
| | Justo Germán Ortega | Heirs Democratic Socialist Party | 5,930 | 0.24 |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,463,441 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 2,463,441 | 94.82 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 71,924 | 2.77 |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | Blank votes | 62,624 | 2.41 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,597,989 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 4,241,507 | 61.25 |
| Source: TSJE |||||

### Senate

| | Colorado Party | 766,841 | 32.52 | 17 | –2 |
| | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | 570,205 | 24.18 | 13 | 0 |
| | Guasú Front | 279,008 | 11.83 | 6 | +1 |
| | Beloved Fatherland Party | 159,625 | 6.77 | 3 | +3 |
| | Hagamos Party | 105,375 | 4.47 | 2 | New |
| | Progressive Democratic Party | 86,216 | 3.66 | 2 | –1 |
| | National Crusade Movement | 58,409 | 2.48 | 1 | New |
| | National Union of Ethical Citizens | 49,889 | 2.12 | 1 | –1 |
| | Green Party | 37,812 | 1.60 | 0 | 0 |
| | We are Paraguay | 34,623 | 1.47 | 0 | New |
| | National Encounter Party | 30,365 | 1.29 | 0 | –1 |
| | Plurinational Indigenous Political Movement | 25,785 | 1.09 | 0 | New |
| | Christian Democratic Party | 16,619 | 0.70 | 0 | New |
| | Secure Paraguay | 15,005 | 0.64 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Movement for Socialism | 14,773 | 0.63 | 0 | New |
| | Patriotic Reserve Movement | 14,397 | 0.61 | 0 | New |
| | Revolutionary Febrerista Party | 14,332 | 0.61 | 0 | 0 |
| | Kuña Pyrenda Movement | 9,795 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 |
| | Civic Compromise | 9,542 | 0.40 | 0 | New |
| | Concertación Nacional Avancemos País | 9,478 | 0.40 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the A | 8,934 | 0.38 | 0 | New |
| | All for Paraguay United Movement | 7,269 | 0.31 | 0 | New |
| | National Artists' Movement | 6,775 | 0.29 | 0 | New |
| | Us | 5,948 | 0.25 | 0 | New |
| | Heirs Democratic Socialist Party | 5,275 | 0.22 | 0 | New |
| | National Political Sovereignty Movement | 5,065 | 0.21 | 0 | New |
| | Movimiento Civico Nacional Unamonos | 5,040 | 0.21 | 0 | New |
| | Broad Front Party | 3,403 | 0.14 | 0 | New |
| | Union and Equality Political Movement | 2,500 | 0.11 | 0 | New |
| Total | Total | 2,358,303 | 100.00 | 45 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 2,358,303 | 91.11 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 92,716 | 3.58 | | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | 137,277 | 5.30 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 2,588,296 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 4,241,507 | 61.02 | | |
| Source: TSJE ||||||

#### Elected Senators

| Name | Party | Alliance |
| Agustín Amado Florentín Cabral | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Antonio Carlos Barrios Fernández | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Blanca Margarita Ovelar de Duarte | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Blas Antonio Llano Ramos | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Blas Lanzoni Achinelli | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Carlos Alberto Filizzola Pallarés | Party for a Country of Solidarity | Guasú Front |
| Carlos Leopoldo Gómez Zelada Brugada | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Derlis Ariel Alejandro Osorio Nunes | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Desirée Graciela Masi Jara | Democratic Progressive Party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Dionisio Oswaldo Amarilla Guirlland | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Enrique Fausto Bacchetta Chiriani | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Enrique Salyn Concepción Buzarquis Cáceres | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Ernesto Javier Zacarías Irún | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Esperanza Martínez de Portillo | Party of Citizen Participation | Guasú Front |
| Fernando Alberto Silva Facetti | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez | Independent | Guasú Front |
| Fidel Santiago Zavala Serrati | Beloved Fatherland Party | Beloved Fatherland Party |
| Georgia María Arrúa de Dolinsky | Beloved Fatherland Party | Beloved Fatherland Party |
| Gilberto Antonio Apuril Santiviago | Hagamos Political Party | Hagamos Political Party |
| Hermelinda Alvarenga de Ortega | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Jorge Antonio Oviedo Matto | National Union of Ethical Citizens | National Union of Ethical Citizens |
| Jorge Osvaldo Querey Rojas | Party for a Country of Solidarity | Guasú Front |
| José Gregorio Ledesma Narváez | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Juan Bartolomé Ramírez Brizuela | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Juan Carlos Román Galaverna Delvalle | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Juan Darío Monges Espínola | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Juan Eudes Afara Maciel | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Lilian Graciela Samaniego González | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Luis Alberto Castiglioni Soria | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| María Eugenia Beatriz Bajac de Penner | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Óscar Alberto González Daher | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Óscar Hugo Richer Florentín | Popular Socialist Convergence Party | Guasú Front |
| Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Óscar Rubén Salomón Fernández | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Paraguayo Antonio Cubas Colomés | National Crusade Movement | National Crusade Movement |
| Patrick Paul Kemper Thiede | Hagamos Political Party | Hagamos Political Party |
| Pedro Arthuro Santa Cruz Insaurralde | Democratic Progressive Party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Sergio Daniel Godoy Codas | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Silvio Adalberto Ovelar Benítez | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Sixto Pereira Galeano | Tekojoja People's Party | Guasú Front |
| Stephan Rasmussen González | Beloved Fatherland Party | Beloved Fatherland Party |
| Víctor Alcides Bogado González | Colorado Party | Colorado Party |
| Víctor Ríos Ojeda | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
| Zulma Ramona Gómez Cáceres | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | Authentic Radical Liberal Party |
Source: ABC Color

### Chamber of Deputies

| | Colorado Party | 927,183 | 39.10 | 42 | –2 |
| | Authentic Radical Liberal Party | 420,821 | 17.74 | 17 | – |
| | Great Renewed National Alliance | 286,513 | 12.08 | 13 | – |
| | Beloved Fatherland Party | 105,765 | 4.46 | 3 | +2 |
| | Hagamos Party | 75,601 | 3.19 | 2 | New |
| | National Encounter Party | 75,514 | 3.18 | 2 | 0 |
| | National Union of Ethical Citizens | 65,593 | 2.77 | 0 | –2 |
| | Guasú Front | 42,891 | 1.81 | 0 | –1 |
| | Green Party | 42,053 | 1.77 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Crusade Movement | 33,417 | 1.41 | 1 | New |
| | Progressive Democratic Party | 27,932 | 1.18 | 0 | 0 |
| | Christian Democratic Party | 26,783 | 1.13 | 0 | New |
| | Civic Compromise | 21,651 | 0.91 | 0 | New |
| | Broad Front Party | 20,594 | 0.87 | 0 | New |
| | We are Paraguay | 18,060 | 0.76 | 0 | New |
| | Concertación Nacional Avancemos País | 16,070 | 0.68 | 0 | New |
| | Revolutionary Febrerista Party | 15,169 | 0.64 | 0 | New |
| | National Artists' Movement | 11,727 | 0.49 | 0 | New |
| | Youth Party | 10,871 | 0.46 | 0 | 0 |
| | Us | 10,816 | 0.46 | 0 | New |
| | Secure Paraguay | 9,651 | 0.41 | 0 | New |
| | Patriotic Reserve Movement | 9,648 | 0.41 | 0 | New |
| | Civic Participation Party | 9,567 | 0.40 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the A | 9,043 | 0.38 | 0 | New |
| | Heirs Democratic Socialist Party | 8,832 | 0.37 | 0 | New |
| | Itapua for All Alliance | 8,683 | 0.37 | 0 | New |
| | Plurinational Indigenous Political Movement | 8,094 | 0.34 | 0 | New |
| | Movimiento Civico Nacional Unamonos | 7,241 | 0.31 | 0 | New |
| | Party of the Movement for Socialism | 6,207 | 0.26 | 0 | New |
| | All for Paraguay United Movement | 5,871 | 0.25 | 0 | New |
| | Ganar Alliance | 5,476 | 0.23 | 0 | – |
| | Party of the Patriotic Popular Movement | 5,147 | 0.22 | 0 | New |
| | National Political Sovereignty Movement | 4,457 | 0.19 | 0 | New |
| | Let's Continue Building Alliance | 4,183 | 0.18 | 0 | New |
| | Union and Equality Political Movement | 3,775 | 0.16 | 0 | New |
| | Itapuense Front Alliance | 3,036 | 0.13 | 0 | New |
| | Concertación por Vos | 2,407 | 0.10 | 0 | New |
| | Party of Popular Unity | 1,329 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| | Tekojoja People's Movement | 1,046 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| | Movimiento Politico Civico Nacional Unamonos | 949 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| | All for Ñeembucu | 772 | 0.03 | 0 | New |
| | Mbarete Independent Political Movement | 595 | 0.03 | 0 | New |
| | Teete Patriotic Front Party | 574 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| Total | Total | 2,371,607 | 100.00 | 80 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 2,371,607 | 91.84 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 78,457 | 3.04 | | |
| Blank votes | Blank votes | 132,296 | 5.12 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 2,582,360 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 4,241,507 | 60.88 | | |
| Source: TSJE ||||||

### Departmental Governors

| Department | Elected governor | Party | Votes | % |
| Concepción | Edgar Idalino López Ruíz | Liberal | 43.881 | 49.78 |
| San Pedro | Carlos Alcibiades Giménez Díaz | Colorado | 56,493 | 39.66 |
| Cordillera | Hugo Alberto Fleitas Ovelar | Liberal | 58,998 | 45.10 |
| Guairá | Juan Carlos Vera Báez | Colorado | 50,115 | 58.26 |
| Caaguazú | Alejo Rios Medina | GANAR | 88,651 | 46.17 |
| Caazapá | Pedro Alejandro Díaz Verón | Colorado | 30.638 | 49.32 |
| Itapúa | Juan Alberto Schmalko Palacios | Colorado | 87,441 | 44.38 |
| Misiones | Carlos María Arrechea Ortiz | Colorado | 29,364 | 48.28 |
| Paraguarí | Juan Carlos Baruja Fernandez | Colorado | 49,416 | 46.10 |
| Alto Paraná | Roberto Luis González Vaesken | Colorado | 104,539 | 37.47 |
| Central | Hugo Javier González Alegre | Colorado | 314,314 | 43.99 |
| Ñeembucú | Luis Federico Benitez Cuevas | Colorado | 20,881 | 47.89 |
| Amambay | Ronald Enrique Acevedo Quevedo | Liberal | 31,119 | 47.95 |
| Canindeyú | César Ramírez Caje | Colorado | 36,516 | 53.16 |
| Presidente Hayes | Rubén Antonio Roussillon Blaires | Colorado | 13,710 | 32.37 |
| Alto Paraguay | José Domingo Adorno Mazacotte | Colorado | 3,910 | 50.16 |
| Boquerón | Dario Rafael Medina Velázquez | Colorado | 9,051 | 49.40 |