Costa Ricans have elected a pro-gay rights candidate in a landslide. Carlos Alvarado is a 38-year-old novelist and former labor minister who took home 61% of the vote. He was able to beat out pollster favorite Fabricio Alvarado, a controversial evangelical preacher. Although Alvarado discussed his more liberal stances on social issues, his main promise was to fix the nation’s fiscal deficit and restore the country’s credit rating.

The Guardian writes:

His unexpected 20-point victory followed a poll showing seven out of 10 voters opposed gay marriage, and it should hold out hope for fellow progressives in Latin America, where a conservative backlash is under way in several countries that have backed same-sex unions and are holding elections this year.