[2] The candidates, in order of appearance on the ballot, were: The 1999 presidential race was overshadowed by the economic crisis that plagued the country, causing significant turmoil for Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle's administration.

Despite the challenging circumstances, the Christian Democracy (PDC), the primary governing party, aspired to win its third consecutive term.

Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux, Alejandro Foxley, Enrique Krauss, and Andrés Zaldívar were among the notable figures who vied for the position.

During his tenure as mayor, Lavín introduced a leadership style that focused on resolving specific community issues through municipal plebiscites, security measures, and exceptional communication management.

The evangelical pastor Salvador Pino Bustos presented his independent presidential candidacy, but it was rejected for not reaching the minimum number of signatures required by law and for exceeding the maximum percentage of signatories affiliated with political parties.

[4] The Concertación's celebration of the open primaries filled them with optimism, as the high level of participation in the clean and organized process led many to believe that the December election was already won.

Lavín was able to distance himself from the dictatorship with the arrest of Pinochet, and the fact that the ruling coalition's candidate was located further to the left than his predecessors allowed him to capitalize on popular discontent caused by the economic crisis.

[5] Forty days before the election, Lagos and Lavín participated in a televised debate[6] that achieved a high audience rating of 75%.

Lagos' failure to secure an absolute majority of votes in the initial round had repercussions for his campaign, and Soledad Alvear, Eugenio Tironi, and Carlos Montes took on the role of executive directors to help turn things around.