Fearing setback, Chile’s women may decide presidential race

By PATRICIA LUNA and JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Most eligible Chilean voters stayed home for the first round of presidential voting. But the lead of right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast galvanized many to action ahead of the runoff a leftist rival — especially women who see him as a threat. They could be the clincher in a tight race between political extremes battling for Chile’s future. Several opinion polls indicate that this time women are flocking in droves to Gabriel Boric — a millennial who uses non-binary pronouns from the stump. He’s trying to capitalize on Kast’s long record of sexist comments even as Kast retreats from some of his hard-line proposals.