El Salvador's ruling Nuevas Ideas party on Sunday formally nominated President Nayib Bukele as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party announced late in the day. Party officials said Bukele ran unopposed in the internal primary that produced the nomination.
The party's announcement confirmed that Bukele, together with Vice President Felix Ulloa, will seek a third consecutive term in the presidency in the general election scheduled for next February. The nomination follows significant legal changes enacted by allies of the ruling party in the national legislature.
In July 2025, lawmakers aligned with the government moved to remove previous constitutional safeguards and approved a new framework that permits indefinite presidential reelection. As part of those measures, the legislature approved a constitutional amendment that allows Bukele to run again for a new six-year term.
Bukele, who is 44 years old, continues to record high approval ratings across El Salvador, according to party statements. The party attributes much of his sustained popularity to a state of emergency crackdown on crime that the government launched in 2022. The campaign and its messaging are expected to emphasize public security as a core element of the administration's record.
Looking ahead to the election, Bukele is anticipated to face a candidate put forward by the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, commonly known by its Spanish acronym FMLN. Bukele was expelled from the FMLN in 2017, and the party remains positioned as a likely opposition contender in the coming vote.
Context and next steps
The Nuevas Ideas nomination completes the party's internal selection process, formalizing Bukele's bid under the legal framework that now allows him to stand again. With the constitutional amendment in place, the president and his running mate will move into the campaign period ahead of next February's general election.
Campaign dynamics, including how security policy and the state of emergency feature in messaging, and the emergence of the FMLN candidate, will shape the electoral contest in the months ahead.