2002 Costa Rican municipal elections

1 December 2002

2006 →

81 mayors, 463 syndics, 1854 district councillors, 8 intendants, 32 municipal district councillors and their alternates^[1]

	First party	Second party	Third party

Leader	Jorge Eduardo Sánchez	Luis Guillermo Solís	Ottón Solís
Party	PUSC	PLN	PAC
Mayors	47	28	1

Municipal and local elections were held for the first time in Costa Rica on 1 December 2002. This was the first time citizens of the 81 cantons were able to directly choose their mayors as previously the municipal executive was appointed by the city council.^[2] A syndic and 4 District Councilors were also elected for each canton’s district as 8 intendants for especial districts with administrative autonomy.

Then ruling Social Christian Unity Party had its best results in history on a local election gaining most of the mayors and councilors; 48 mayors and 785 syndics and councilors.^[2] National Liberation Party, then main opposition force, earn the second largest number of both with 27 mayors and 676.^[2] Costa Rica was still pretty much under a two-party system at the time even when in the recent general election the new force Citizens Action Party surprised with high voting for president and parliament, in this first municipal running achieve only one mayor in Montes de Oca (the party’s hometown).^[2]

Results

Mayors

List of elected mayors by canton

Cantons

Population

Elected mayor

Party

San José

309,672

Johnny Araya

PLN

Escazú

52,372

Marco Antonio Segura

PLN

Desamparados

193,478

Carlos Alberto Padilla

PLN

Puriscal

29,407

Carlos Araya

PUSC

Tarrazú

14,160

José Rodolfo Naranjo

PUSC

Aserrí

57,892

Mario Morales

PLN

Mora

21,666

Alcides Ovidio Araya

PLN

Goicoechea

117,532

Carlos Luis Murillo

PUSC

Santa Ana

48,879

Rónald Octavio Traña

PUSC

Alajuelita

70,297

Víctor Hugo Echavarría

PUSC

Vázquez de Coronado

55,585

Rolando Méndez

PUSC

Acosta

18,661

Rónald Ricardo Durán

PLN

Tibás

72,074

Percy Kenneth Rodríguez

PUSC

Moravia

50,419

Alejandro Hidalgo

PLN

Montes de Oca

50,433

Sonia María Montero

PAC

Turrubares

4,877

Roberto González

PUSC

Dota

6,519

Mario Enrique Umaña

PLN

Curridabat

60,889

Luz de los Ángeles Retana

CSXXI

Pérez Zeledón

122,187

Rosibel Ramos

PUSC

León Cortés

11,696

Sergio Picado

PUSC

Alajuela

222,853

Fabio Molina

PLN

San Ramón

67,975

Osvaldo Vargas

PUSC

Grecia

65,119

Freddy Barrantes

PUSC

San Mateo

5,343

Erwen Yanán Masís

PUSC

Atenas

22,479

Wilberth Martín Aguilar

PUSC

Naranjo

37,602

Mario Bolívar Solís

PLN

Palmares

29,766

Mario Alberto Rojas

PUSC

Poás

24,764

Carlos Eduardo Soto

PLN

Orotina

15,705

José Joaquín Peraza

PUSC

San Carlos

127,140

Alfredo Córdoba

PLN

Alfaro Ruiz

10,845

Manuel Enrique Durán

PUSC

Valverde Vega

16,239

Víctor Manuel Rojas

PUSC

Upala

37,679

Juan Bosco Acevedo

PLN

Los Chiles

19,732

Santiago Millón

PLN

Guatuso

13,045

Carlos Luis Corrales

PUSC

Cartago

132,057

Harold Humberto Góngora

PUSC

Paraíso

52,393

Marvin Solano

PAPAR

La Unión

80,279

Guillermo Arturo Zúñiga

PIO

Jiménez

14,046

Jorge Humberto Solano

PLN

Turrialba

68,510

Marvin Gerardo Orocú

PUSC

Alvarado

12,290

Ángel Raquel López

PLN

Oreamuno

39,032

Gerardo Walter Granados

PUSC

El Guarco

33,788

Luis Rafael Flores

PUSC

Heredia

103,894

Javier Carvajal

PUSC

Barva

32,440

Omar Enrique Trigueros

PUSC

Santo Domingo

34,748

Erika Lizette Linares

PLN

Santa Bárbara

29,181

Luis Paulino Rodríguez

PUSC

San Rafael

37,293

Jorge Isaac Herrera

PLN

San Isidro

16,056

Elvia Dicciana Villalobos

PLN

Belén

19,834

Víctor Manuel Víquez

PLN

Flores

15,038

Marvin Murillo

PUSC

San Pablo

20,813

Aracelly Salas

PUSC

Sarapiquí

57,147

Pedro Rojas

PLN

Liberia

46,703

Ricardo Adolfo Samper

PLN

Nicoya

42,189

Bernardo Vargas

PLN

Santa Cruz

40,821

Pastor Gómez

PUSC

Bagaces

15,972

Guillermo Aragón

PUSC

Carrillo

27,306

José María Guevara

PUSC

Cañas

24,076

Gilberto Jerez

PLN

Abangares

16,276

Víctor Julio Cabezas

PUSC

Tilarán

17,871

Jovel Arias

PUSC

Nandayure

9,985

Luis Gerardo Rodríguez

PGI

La Cruz

16,505

Junnier Alberto Salazar

PUSC

Hojancha

6,534

Juan Rafael Marín

PLN

Puntarenas

102,504

Omar Obando

PUSC

Esparza

23,963

Dagoberto Venegas

PUSC

Buenos Aires

40,139

Giovanni Fallas

PUSC

Montes de Oro

11,159

Álvaro Jiménez

PLN

Osa

25,861

José Gabriel Villachica

PUSC

Aguirre

20,188

Alex Max Contreras

PUSC

Golfito

33,823

Mauricio Alvarado

PUSC

Coto Brus

40,082

Gerardo Wilson Chaves

PUSC

Parrita

12,112

Ramón Fernando Godínez

PUSC

Corredores

37,274

Augusto César Moya

PUSC

Garabito

10,378

Luis Fernando Villalobos

PUSC

Limón

89,933

Róger Mainor Rivera

PUSC

Pococí

103,121

Manuel Hernández

PUSC

Siquirres

52,409

Miguel Gerardo Quirós

PUSC

Talamanca

25,857

Rugeli Morales

PUSC

Matina

33,096

Rodrigo Gómez

PRC

Guácimo

34,879

Gerardo Fuentes

PLN

Vote percentage

PUSC (36.72%)

PLN (32.78%)

PAC (12.84%)

Cantonal parties (5.77%)

ML (4.02%)

PRC (3.02%)

FD (1.29%)

PIO (0.95%)

C2000 (0.83%)

PRESNA (0.68%)

PIN (0.61%)

Other (0.49%)

Party		Mayors	Popular vote
Party		Number	Votes	%
	Social Christian Unity Party	47	188,612	36,72
	National Liberation Party	28	168,410	32,78
	Citizens' Action Party	1	65,968	12.84
	Total cantonal parties	2	30,273	5.77
	Libertarian Movement	0	20,655	4.02
	Costa Rican Renewal Party	1	15,497	3.02
	Democratic Force	0	6,606	1.29
	Independent Workers' Party	1	4,904	0.95
	Coalition Change 2000	0	4,272	0.83
	National Rescue Party	0	3,488	0.68
	National Integration Party	0	3,119	0.61
	Independent Guanacaste Party	1	1,259	0.25
	Agrarian Labour Action Party	0	569	0.11
	Cartago Agrarian Union Party	0	532	0.10
	General Union Party	0	96	0.02

Total		81	514,260	100%

Source^[3]

By province

Province	PUSC %	PLN %	PAC %	Reg. %	ML %	PRC %	FD %	PIO %	C2000 %	PRESNA %	PIN %
Province
San José Province	29.90	35.12	13.57	12.50	3.66	1.05	1.36	1.46	0.82	0.25	0.31
Alajuela	39.04	38.79	11.46	1.26	2.77	1.30	-	-	1.03	2.74	1.61
Cartago Province	37.35	31.03	14.43	7.75	1.52	-	3.06	4.58	-	-	0.28
Heredia	34.33	34.07	17.65	3.69	3.74	4.08	-	0.35	0.36	-	1.73
Guanacaste	42.84	29.13	11.97	3.41	3.00	7.06	2.07	-	0.36	0.16	-
Puntarenas	46.07	24.96	11.94	3.43	8.63	2.75	1.44	-	0.78	-	-
Limón	36.11	24.68	9.19	4.72	7.40	13.06	2.12	-	2.72	-	-
Total	36.72	32.78	12.84	6.26	4.02	3.02	1.29	0.95	0.83	0.68	0.61
Source: TSE

Alderpeople

The elections of municipal councilors of Costa Rica in 2002 were an electoral process held in parallel with the presidential and legislative elections. In them the 495 tenure aldermen and the 495 alternates that conform the 81 Municipal Councils were chosen.

The Central Canton of San José, the most populous, named 13 aldermen. Desamparados and Alajuela named 11. Others less populated (Puntarenas, Limón, Pococí, Heredia, Cartago, La Unión, San Carlos, Goicoechea, Pérez Zeledón, etc.) named 9. Others even smaller (Tibás, Grecia, Vázquez de Coronado, Montes de Oca, Siquirres, Escazú, Turrialba, etc.) appointed 7 council members. Finally, the smallest (Turrubares, San Mateo, Santa Ana, Mora, Montes de Oro, Talamanca, etc.) named 5.

Parties		Popular vote			Alderpeople
Parties		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/-
	Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC)	469,305	30.92	-9.94	180	-91
	National Liberation Party (PLN)	443,320	29.21	-6.17	178	-48
	Citizens' Action Party (PAC)	310,201	20.44	New	101	New
	Libertarian Movement (ML)	84,167	5.55	+3.12	13	+9
	Costa Rican Renewal Party (PRC)	54,547	3.59	+1.73	7	+7
	Democratic Force (FD)	40,114	2.64	-3.53	4	-20
	National Integration Party (PIN)	25,038	1.65	-0.08	1	-2
	Coalition Change 2000 (C2000)	17,612	1.16	New	1	New
	Agrarian Labour Action Party (PALA)	9,225	0.61	-0.49	2	-5
	Escazu's Progressive Yoke (YPE)	7,765	0.51	-0.19	3	-1
	National Rescue Party (PRESNA)	7,510	0.49	-0.33	1	New
	Independent Workers' Party (PIO)	7,460	0.49	New	1	New
	National Agrarian Party (PAN)	5,032	0.33	-0.24	1	-4
	Party of the Sun (PdS)	4,880	0.32	+0.06	2	0
	Cartago Agrarian Force (FAC)	4,024	0.27	+0.09	0	New
	21st Century Curridabat (CSXXI)	3,726	0.25	-0.12	1	-1
	Authentic Paraisian Party (PAPAR)	3,264	0.22	New	1	New
	National Convergence Party (PCN)	2,927	0.19	-0.10	0	-1
	General Union Party (PUG)	2,495	0.16	-0.83	0	-3
	Quepeña Action Party (PAQ)	1,956	0.13	New	2	New
	Authentic Sarapiquenean Party (PASAR)	1,779	0.12	New	1	New
	New Alajuelita Party (PALNU)	1,773	0.12	+0.02	1	0
	Humanist Party of Montes de Oca (PH-MdO)	1,212	0.08	-0.06	0	-1
	Alliance for San José Party (PASJ)	1,127	0.07	New	0	New
	Cantonal Action Independent Siquirres Party (PACSI)	1,079	0.07	New	0	New
	Ecological Garabito Party (PEG)	983	0.06	New	2	New
	Humanist Party of San José (PH-SJO)	919	0.06	New	0	New
	Golfitenean Action Party (PAGOL)	772	0.05	-0.00	0	0
	Independent Guanacaste Party (PGI)	759	0.05	-0.14	0	-2
	Independent Belemite Party (PIB)	618	0.04	-0.06	0	-1
	Limonense Conscience Party (PCL)	617	0.04	New	0	New
	Humanist Party of Heredia (PH-Her)	517	0.03	-0.05	0	0
	National Patriotic Party (PPN)	485	0.03	New	0	New
	New Corredores Party (PUG)	457	0.03	New	0	New
	Humanist Party of Barva (PH-Barva)	183	0.01	New	0	New

Total		1,517,848	100.00	-	503	-75

Invalid votes		51,628	3.29
Votes cast / turnout		1,569,476	68.84
Abstentions		710,375	31.16
Registered voters		2,279,851	100%

Sources^[4]

Syndics and district councils

Syndics

PUSC			49.24%
PLN			41.47%
PAC			3.02%
Regionalist			3.02%
ML			0.86%
PRC			0.86%
PIO			0.86%
C2000			0.22%
PIN			0.22%
PRESNA			0.22%

District councillors

PUSC			43.10%
PLN			36.89%
PAC			9.82%
Regionalist			3.67%
PRC			2.59%
ML			1.40%
PIO			0.81%
PRESNA			0.59%
C2000			0.38%
PIN			0.32%

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote		Syndics		District Councillors
Parties and coalitions		Votes	%	Total	+/-	Total
	Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC)	184,902	36.85	228	-67	799
	National Liberation Party (PLN)	169,660	33.81	192	+47	684
	Citizens' Action Party (PAC)	63,270	12.61	14	New	182
	Libertarian Movement (ML)	16,367	3.26	4	+4	26
	Costa Rican Renewal Party (PRC)	15,665	3.21	4	+4	48
	Democratic Force (FD)	6,539	1.30	0	0	8
	Coalition Change 2000 (C2000)	4,797	0.96	1	New	7
	Independent Workers' Party (PIO)	4,444	0.89	4	New	15
	Alliance to Advance Party (PAPA)	4,421	0.88	0	New	5
	Alliance for San José Party (PASJ)	4,037	0.80	0	New	3
	Authentic Paraisian Party (PAPAR)	3,586	0.71	2	New	6
	National Integration Party (PIN)	3,189	0.64	1	+1	6
	Escazu's Progressive Yoke (YPE)	2,670	0.53	1	-2	4
	National Rescue Party (PRESNA)	2,354	0.47	1	+1	11
	Party of the Sun (PdS)	1,844	0.37	2	0	8
	Cantonal Action Independent Siquirres Party (PACSI)	1,652	0.33	2	New	7
	We Are All San José Party (SJST)	1,651	0.33	0	New	1
	21st Century Curridabat (CSXXI)	1,412	0.28	2	+1	4
	Independent Guanacaste Party (PGI)	1,181	0.24	2	+2	9
	Authentic Sarapiquenean Party (PASAR)	978	0.19	2	New	9
	Quepeña Action Party (PAQ)	941	0.19	0	New	3
	Change Now (CYA)	833	0.17	0	New	0
	Ecological Garabito Party (PEG)	819	0.16	1	New	3
	Authentic Cantonal Option Movement (MOCA)	692	0.14	0	New	0
	Curridabat Movement (MCur)	642	0.13	0	New	1
	Agrarian Labour Action Party (PALA)	544	0.11	0	-2	3
	Independent Belemite Party (PIB)	532	0.11	0	0	1
	Cartago Agrarian Union Party (PUAC)	503	0.10	0	0	0
	Santacrucean Rebirth Party (PRS)	490	0.10	0	New	0
	Humanist Party of Montes de Oca (PH-MdO)	394	0.08	0	0	1
	New Corredores Party (PUG)	288	0.06	0	New	1
	Limonense Conscience Party (PCL)	256	0.05	0	New	0
	Humanist Party of Heredia (PH-Her)	125	0.02	0	0	0
	General Union Party (PUGEN)	62	0.01	0	0	0

Total		500,080	100.00	463	+16	1854

Invalid votes		20,803	3.98
Votes cast / turnout		520,883	22.64
Abstentions		1,785,510	77.36
Registered voters		2,306,393

Sources^[5]

References

^ Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. "Elecciones municipales en cifras 2002-2016" (PDF). tse.go.cr. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Georgetown. "Final Results Municipal Elections 2002". Retrieved 13 March 2016.
^ "Declaratorias de elección 2002". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 6 March 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Elecciones Regidurías 2002". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
^ "Elecciones Municipales 2020". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 6 January 2020.