1958 Costa Rican general election
Presidential election
Results by canton
Parliamentary election
All 45 seats in the Legislative Assembly 23 seats needed for a majority
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results by province
Ballot paper
General elections were held in Costa Rica on 2 February 1958.[ 1] Mario Echandi Jiménez of the National Union Party won the presidential election, whilst the National Liberation Party won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 64.7%.[ 2]
Echandi was the only deputy for the National Union Party fraction for the 1953-1958 period, and he was in open opposition to the National Liberation Party (PLN) legislative fraction and the executive power presidency of Figueres Ferrer, also of PLN. During the tense invasion of 1955 when former president Rafael Angel Calderon 's supporters and their international allies tried to invade Costa Rica's territory and were successfully repelled by Figueres Ferrer ’ government, Echandi was accused of being Calderonista and been offered an office as minister from Calderón.[ 3] Echandi denied it but was put under investigation by the Legislative Assembly .[ 3] The opposition, encompassed by both Echandi's party National Union and Calderón's Independent Republican left the Assembly in protest.[ 3] Still Echandi was acquitted and the old loyalties before the war were starting to switch. Echandi as candidate from National Union promised to allow Calderón and family (then exiled in Mexico ) to return to Costa Rica and give a general amnesty for all of Calderón's supporters. This gained him the support of the Calderonism, still a powerful political base.[ 3]
But, whilst PLN's opposition was closing lines, PLN was splitting. After a primary election that was won by Francisco José Orlich (one of PLN's founders and one of the leaders of the 1948 Revolution) his opponent Jorge Rossi left the party and founded a new one called Independent Party.[ 3] As expected, Rossi's departure and his new party caused a spoiler effect dividing the Social Democratic vote and Echandi won the election with the support of Calderonists.[ 3]
Echandi did fulfill his promise and allowed Calderón and family to return and passed a general amnesty for all factions.[ 3]
Party Votes % Seats +/– National Liberation Party 86,081 41.68 20 –10 Republican Party 46,171 22.36 11 +8 National Union Party 44,125 21.37 10 +9 Independent Party 20,314 9.84 3 New Revolutionary Civic Union 6,855 3.32 1 New Democratic Opposition Movement 1,417 0.69 0 New Democratic Party 939 0.45 0 –11 National Republican Party 614 0.30 0 New Total 206,516 100.00 45 0 Valid votes 206,516 89.98 Invalid/blank votes 22,991 10.02 Total votes 229,507 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 358,661 63.99 Source: TSE , Election Resources
Province
PLN
PR
PUN
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
PRN
%
S
%
S
%
S
%
S
%
S
%
S
%
S
%
S
San José
37.2
6
26.7
4
19.6
3
10.1
2
5.2
1
0.8
0
0.4
0
-
-
Alajuela
50.3
4
17.1
2
24.2
2
6.0
0
1.6
0
0.4
0
0.4
0
-
-
Cartago
40.2
3
13.9
1
17.3
1
20.1
1
4.8
0
0.7
0
0.5
0
2.5
0
Heredia
44.0
1
24.7
1
19.1
1
9.5
0
1.5
0
0.9
0
0.4
0
-
-
Puntarenas
39.2
2
26.9
2
24.9
1
6.5
0
1.2
0
0.7
0
0.7
0
-
-
Limón
40.7
1
25.5
0
26.3
1
5.4
0
1.1
0
0.7
0
0.4
0
-
-
Guanacaste
46.4
3
17.8
1
25.0
1
8.8
0
0.9
0
0.5
0
0.6
0
-
-
Total
41.7
20
22.4
11
21.4
10
9.8
3
3.3
1
0.7
0
0.5
0
0.3
0
San José
Canton
PLN
PR
PUN
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
San José
29.27
33.91
20.54
9.20
5.90
0.86
0.31
Escazú
48.11
18.60
16.81
13.49
1.91
0.79
0.29
Desamparados
43.35
18.01
17.63
10.34
9.27
0.80
0.59
Puriscal
57.62
10.80
20.92
8.85
0.57
0.46
0.77
Tarrazú
45.26
10.72
22.87
12.56
7.76
0.53
0.30
Aserrí
44.74
15.78
26.20
7.92
3.91
0.80
0.65
Mora
53.76
19.50
19.84
3.88
2.11
0.63
0.29
Goicoechea
33.76
31.43
18.62
9.11
5.46
1.30
0.33
Santa Ana
52.29
21.29
17.11
6.89
1.24
0.56
0.62
Alajuelita
37.17
26.54
23.68
7.89
3.29
0.88
0.55
Vázquez de Coronado
47.66
14.62
23.73
8.61
4.11
0.89
0.38
Acosta
56.62
15.88
17.60
7.26
1.32
0.68
0.64
Tibás
32.33
35.03
16.42
9.60
5.44
0.75
0.44
Moravia
35.50
29.48
14.95
12.81
5.54
0.95
0.77
Montes de Oca
33.77
27.14
24.50
8.33
5.03
0.85
0.39
Turrubares
47.77
12.76
33.09
4.75
0.89
0.59
0.15
Dota
46.68
12.86
20.16
14.06
5.44
0.80
0.00
Curridabat
41.65
21.65
14.43
14.87
5.48
1.48
0.43
Pérez Zeledón
53.55
5.77
12.08
22.79
4.79
0.42
0.60
Total
37.19
26.68
19.64
10.08
5.18
0.82
0.41
Alajuela
Canton
PLN
PUN
PR
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Alajuela
41.72
23.87
25.10
6.56
1.85
0.50
0.40
San Ramón
63.57
21.06
8.92
5.33
0.48
0.28
0.35
Grecia
51.09
27.24
17.00
3.34
0.50
0.50
0.32
San Mateo
55.31
26.48
6.62
10.76
0.55
0.14
0.14
Atenas
41.91
37.06
10.35
8.71
1.17
0.15
0.66
Naranjo
59.21
19.88
13.76
5.32
0.95
0.45
0.45
Palmares
48.97
25.57
18.46
5.05
0.86
0.62
0.47
Poás
56.55
25.77
10.58
4.94
1.39
0.49
0.28
Orotina
42.25
35.12
16.97
3.94
0.86
0.43
0.43
San Carlos
50.84
18.38
16.28
7.99
5.64
0.54
0.34
Alfaro Ruiz
57.56
14.27
18.81
7.84
0.85
0.47
0.19
Valverde Vega
54.96
13.04
19.40
6.58
4.35
0.56
1.11
Total
50.33
24.22
17.05
5.97
1.58
0.44
0.41
Cartago
Canton
PLN
PI
PUN
PR
UCR
PRN
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Cartago
40.42
19.36
15.23
12.54
8.69
3.09
0.44
0.24
Paraíso
41.54
16.04
21.77
14.97
1.95
2.28
0.62
0.83
La Unión
45.61
11.27
15.30
19.84
2.59
3.59
0.85
0.95
Jiménez
48.25
13.38
24.34
10.31
1.10
1.21
0.82
0.60
Turrialba
29.16
28.14
18.14
17.99
2.60
2.59
0.94
0.44
Alvarado
46.33
27.65
9.90
11.53
1.53
2.04
0.61
0.41
Oreamuno
45.48
20.59
15.91
5.12
9.42
1.68
0.81
1.00
El Guarco
56.27
11.24
18.16
9.25
3.29
1.23
0.41
0.14
Total
40.22
20.06
17.32
13.87
4.83
2.53
0.68
0.49
Heredia
Canton
PLN
PR
PUN
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Heredia
39.68
25.90
19.55
11.66
1.66
1.15
0.39
Barva
35.99
24.79
22.39
13.12
1.65
1.5
0.55
Santo Domingo
44.68
24.49
20.37
8.82
0.87
0.55
0.23
Santa Bárbara
53.13
22.29
16.56
5.34
1.83
0.46
0.38
San Rafael
51.44
22.95
15.53
8.20
1.01
0.47
0.39
San Isidro
61.94
9.42
21.29
4.26
2.32
0.65
0.13
Belén
47.71
36.01
9.00
4.83
1.55
0.57
0.33
Flores
39.85
21.33
26.66
9.73
1.31
0.56
0.56
Total
44.01
24.68
19.08
9.48
1.51
0.87
0.38
Guanacaste
Canton
PLN
PUN
PR
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Liberia
44.60
27.30
15.84
10.91
0.60
0.30
0.45
Nicoya
49.83
23.02
14.58
10.72
0.66
0.50
0.70
Santa Cruz
37.61
23.25
26.10
9.40
2.47
0.43
0.74
Bagaces
55.23
19.90
16.84
6.63
0.51
0.13
0.77
Carrillo
44.74
31.84
9.95
11.68
0.81
0.56
0.41
Cañas
40.91
9.13
40.83
7.15
0.34
0.86
0.78
Abangares
50.27
33.73
11.50
3.18
0.36
0.42
0.54
Tilarán
55.03
29.27
11.42
3.19
0.05
0.54
0.49
Total
46.41
25.02
17.77
8.76
0.94
0.47
0.62
Limón
Canton
PLN
PUN
PR
PI
UCR
MDO
PD
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Limón
46.69
19.75
27.06
4.70
0.92
0.72
0.16
Pococí
28.75
42.28
22.83
4.18
0.92
0.16
0.87
Siquirres
33.50
29.65
23.03
10.05
1.84
1.26
0.67
Total
40.72
26.28
25.52
5.37
1.05
0.67
0.39
Party Votes % Seats Alderpeople +/– Municipal syndicates +/– National Liberation Party 88,893 42.53 125 –38 263 –47 National Union Party 50,400 24.11 70 +65 32 32 Republican Party 43,715 20.91 47 +42 23 23 Independent Party 21,419 10.25 12 New 2 New Revolutionary Civic Union 3,834 1.83 0 New 0 New Cartago National Republican Party 720 0.34 0 New 0 New Limonense Independent Party 49 0.02 0 New 0 New Total 209,030 100.00 254 +17 320 –4 Valid votes 209,030 90.90 Invalid/blank votes 20,927 9.10 Total votes 229,957 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 354,962 64.78 Source: TSE[ 4]