Narrow Lead

Honduras' Trump-backed candidate held a narrow lead in the presidential election after initial vote counts began on Monday.

Context

Honduras held its presidential election on Sunday. The outgoing president, Xiomara Castro of the left-wing Libre party, was barred by the constitution from seeking a second term. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and relies on money sent from Hondurans working in the US, which has totaled approximately $10B so far in 2025.

Preliminary Results

Honduran election officials released preliminary results on Monday that showed the Trump-endorsed candidate (Nasry Asfura, ex-mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa) and his rival (sportscaster Salvador Nasralla, also a conservative) were nearly tied in an election many expected to be contentious even before Trump’s endorsement.