Key facts
- Nayib Bukele has been nominated by his ruling Nuevas Ideas party to seek a third presidential term.
- The nomination follows constitutional reforms approved in July 2025 that abolished presidential term limits and extended terms to six years.
- Bukele formally registered as a pre-candidate on June 29, 2026, for the February 28, 2027, general election.
- Bukele and Vice President Félix Ulloa will run together for a third consecutive term.
- The reforms were approved by Bukele's allies in the Legislative Assembly along partisan lines.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has secured the nomination of his ruling Nuevas Ideas party to run for a third presidential term in the February 2027 election. The party officially nominated Bukele, who ran unopposed in the primary, and Vice President Félix Ulloa for another consecutive term.
This bid follows constitutional reforms enacted in July 2025 by the Legislative Assembly, which abolished presidential term limits and extended the presidential term from five to six years. Bukele formally registered as a pre-candidate on June 29, 2026, for the election scheduled for February 28, 2027.
Bukele, 44, maintains high approval ratings, largely attributed to a crackdown on crime initiated in 2022. The constitutional changes, approved along partisan lines by Bukele's allies, have drawn criticism from international organizations and opposition groups concerned about potential weakening of democratic checks and balances and the alternation of power. Bukele has previously expressed a desire to govern for '10 more years,' a goal now made legally possible by these reforms and his latest presidential candidacy.