The congressional elections held this Sunday in Colombia began to outline the new composition of the Senate for the 2026–2030 term, in a scenario marked by close competition among the country’s main political forces and a high level of fragmentation that had already been present during the current 2022–2026 term.
Although the vote count is progressing slowly and the final results will be known in the coming days with the ballot-by-ballot tallying of the boxes, the preliminary figures already make it possible to identify clear trends in the balance of power within Congress.
Partial data from the preliminary count and the ongoing tally show that the ruling Historic Pact is emerging as the most voted force in the Senate, consolidating an expansion of its parliamentary presence. Behind it is the opposition Democratic Center, which is also registering growth compared to its current representation, while traditional parties maintain a significant presence in the upper chamber.
According to electoral authorities, the day proceeded normally, with some isolated complaints of irregularities, but successfully including remote rural areas far from the political center. Overall turnout in these elections was 50,16%, a figure that is two percentage points higher than in the 2022 elections.
With regard to the House of Representatives, as a space for territorial representation, the count is progressing more slowly, but, as was the case until now in the 2022-2026 period, the majority would once again be on the right, with the Democratic Center party strongly rooted in some departments and the Historic Pact consolidating its strong position in others.
Once the result has been confirmed, the new congressmen will inaugurate a new parliamentary term in an official ceremony on July 20.
Results of the Colombian congressional elections
With a significant portion of the polling stations already counted, the left-wing bloc of the Historic Pact appears as the main winner of the electoral day for the Senate. Projections based on partial results indicate that this coalition would move from the 20 seats it obtained in the previous congressional elections to an estimated of 25 seats.
The result would consolidate the ruling coalition’s advance in the legislative branch and strengthen its political weight within Congress. Although the difference with other forces is not large, the growth of the caucus would allow the governing bloc to improve its negotiating capacity in the Senate during the next legislative term.
Despite this, the landscape remains competitive and fragmented, suggesting that no single force will have enough of a majority on its own to control the legislative agenda. This anticipates a scenario in which agreements among parties will be key to advancing bills or structural reforms.
The result represents the consolidation of the left, now in power under the government of Gustavo Petro, increasing its representation compared to four years ago, which already made it the leading force in the Senate.
¡Gracias, Colombia! 💛💙♥️
Seguimos siendo la fuerza más importante del país, y vamos por más con @IvanCepedaCast Presidente en primera. 💪🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/ZAtc8rurqn
— Pacto Histórico Oficial (@PactoCol) March 9, 2026
The growth of the Democratic Center
In second place is the Democratic Center, the right-wing party founded by former president Álvaro Uribe. According to partial tally results, the party would increase its representation in the Senate by moving from the current 13 seats to an estimated figure of 17 seats.
The party’s growth reflects an electoral recovery after the loss of support it had experienced in recent electoral cycles. Although it does not surpass the ruling coalition, the increase in its caucus consolidates it as the main opposition force within the Senate.
This result also positions the party as a key actor in the construction of parliamentary alliances, especially in legislative debates where the balance of forces will be decisive.
This means the creation of a significant bloc, either in government or in opposition, depending on the outcome of future presidential elections, after the party’s presidential candidate, current senator Paloma Valencia, won more than 3 million votes today and clearly prevailed in the right-wing inter-party consultation.
Paloma Valencia, nuestra candidata presidencial, ganadora de la Gran Consulta, honra la memoria de Miguel Uribe Turbay al recibir los resultados de la jornada electoral de hoy. @PalomaValenciaL pic.twitter.com/YWTetE1R4b
— Centro Democrático (@CeDemocratico) March 9, 2026
The weight of traditional parties in results still to be confirmed
Behind the two main forces are the traditional parties of the Colombian political system. The Colombian Liberal Party ranks in third place with around 13 seats, maintaining significant representation within the Senate.
For its part, Green Alliance would obtain 11 seats, while the Colombian Conservative Party ranks fifth with approximately 10 seats, a figure that maintains its position as a relevant force within the parliamentary balance.
Other parties that would obtain representation are: the Party of the U (8); Radical Change / Alma (7); Mira / New Liberalism (5); and finally National Salvation (4), which secured representation at the last minute by surpassing 3% of the vote. It is worth recalling that this party is the political organization that openly supports the independent far-right candidate, Abelardo De la Espriella, for the presidential elections.
They were left out of the Senate: the parties and coalitions Broad Unitary Front —led by Roy Barreras—; We Believe (Creemos, in Spanish)—the party of the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez—; the Citizen Power coalition —a dissident left-wing organization—; All for Colombia (Con toda por Colombia, in Spanish) —the organization of until today’s candidate Juan Daniel Oviedo—; Oxygen; Safe Colombia; and Patriots.
To this result must be added two seats corresponding to the indigenous constituency and one more corresponding to the opposition statute, which will be occupied by the second candidate who obtains the highest number of votes in the presidential elections.
Despite the trends shown by the preliminary results, electoral authorities have insisted that the final distribution of seats could register variations in the coming days. The official tally will continue during the week, when the polling station records will be reviewed vote by vote to confirm the final result.
This process is customary in congressional elections in Colombia and may slightly modify the final allocation of seats among the different lists. However, current projections suggest that the overall trend is unlikely to change substantially.
If these results are confirmed, the new Senate would reflect a political map marked by the strengthening of the ruling coalition, the partial recovery of the right-wing opposition, and the persistence of the weight of traditional parties. The balance among these forces will define the legislative dynamics of the next four years and will be key in shaping the development of the national political debate heading toward the next presidential cycle.