Nasry Asfura leads Honduras’ presidential race in preliminary count

With 6,559 of 19,152 tally sheets processed — 34.25 percent of the total — the National Electoral Council (CNE) reported that Asfura, leader of the National Party of Honduras and a candidate publicly backed by the US, was ahead in the quick count.

The preliminary results place leftist Rixi Moncada of the ruling Libertad Party in third with 255,972 votes, trailing Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party with 506,316 votes and Asfura with 530,077.

Asfura’s preliminary lead marked the close of the 2025 elections. The businessman of Palestinian descent was strongly favored by the US, with President Donald Trump pledging resources and support for Honduras if Asfura won.

The release of results was delayed by an hour due to late poll closings, originally scheduled for 5 p.m. local time (2300GMT). During the delay, Asfura publicly urged CNE President Ana Paola Hall to publish the preliminary tally, insisting that both his party’s count and internal CNE data showed him ahead.

“In the tally sheets we are above; in CNE data, we are above; and in our own numbers, we are even higher,” Asfura told reporters and supporters.

LIBRE Party candidate Moncada struck a cautious tone, saying on social media that she would not comment until the CNE released all of the presidential, mayoral, and congressional tallies in the general elections.

“Grateful to the LIBRE Party and our people who massively came out to vote for my proposal for economic and democratic reform,” she wrote on US social media company X. “I ask you to remain strong until we have the final results … Tomorrow, in a press conference, I will share my political position regarding the CNE’s presidential results.”

CNE President Hall emphasized that the institution’s role is solely to release partial results as they are processed. She thanked Hondurans for their patience during what she described as a high-turnout democratic process, with more than 2.8 million voters casting their ballots.

Final official results are expected on Monday. The president-elect will take office on Jan. 27, 2026, succeeding outgoing President Xiomara Castro.