World

The Latest: Ruling party candidate new Costa Rica president

02 of April 2018

Voters stand in line at a polling station during a presidential election in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sunday, April 1, 2018. Voters will choose between Carlos Alvarado of the ruling Citizen Action Party and Fabricio Alvarado of National Restoration Party. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco),Voters stand in line at a polling station during a presidential election in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sunday, April 1, 2018. Voters will choose between Carlos Alvarado of the ruling Citizen Action Party and Fabricio Alvarado of National Restoration Party. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)

Electoral officials in Costa Rica say the governing party's candidate has won a presidential runoff election in which same-sex marriage was a big issue. Carlos Alvarado of the ruling Citizen Action Party has 60.6 percent of the votes, with just over 90 percent of ballots counted Sunday night. Fabricio Alvarado of the National Restoration party has 39.4 percent of the votes. The two men are not related. The winner strongly supported allowing same-sex marriage, while the loser opposed it.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — The latest on Costa Rica’s presidential runoff election (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

Electoral officials in Costa Rica say the governing party’s candidate has won a presidential runoff election in which same-sex marriage was a big issue.

Carlos Alvarado of the ruling Citizen Action Party has 60.6 percent of the votes, with just over 90 percent of ballots counted Sunday night.

Fabricio Alvarado of the National Restoration party has 39.4 percent of the votes. The two men are not related.

Fabricio Alvarado had led the initial election round in early February after coming out strongly against a call by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for Costa Rica to allow same-sex marriage.

The new president spoke strongly for permitting gays to wed.