Laura Fernández Delgado

Laura Virginia Fernández Delgado (born 4 July 1986) is a Costa Rican politician and political scientist who is the president-elect of Costa Rica. She ran for president of her country in the 2026 general election. 

Fernández is a conservative populist. She is a member of the Sovereign People's Party. She was a candidate for vice president in the 2018 election. She was a government minister in the cabinet of Rodrigo Chaves Robles from 2022 to 2025.

Political career
Government service
From 2008 to 2010, Fernández was a consultant for the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy's State Reform Program. Fernández was an advisor to the Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2018. During the 2018 presidential election, Fernández was one a vice presidential candidate.

In 2018, Fernández became a researcher at the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy. From 2020 to 2021, she was director of strategic planning. On 8 May 2022, President Rodrigo Chaves Robles appointed Fernández as the minister of national planning and economic policy. Chaves also appointed Fernández as Minister of the Presidency on 21 June 2024. On 31 January 2025, Fernández resigned from her government roles to be allowed to run as a presidential candidate in the 2026 presidential election.

2026 presidential campaign
Fernández announced her presidential candidacy in July 2025. She ran on a campaign to reduce drug-related crime. Crime had risen a lot in the last four years. In her bid for election, she was supported by the current president of the country, Rodrigo Chaves. 

On 2 February 2026, she was declared the winner, according to NPR. Fernández was one of twenty presidential candidates and one of five female candidates. She was elected president with 48.3% of the vote.

References

Category:1986 births
Category:Living people
Category:Political scientists
Category:Costa Rican politicians