Ruling party candidate Laura Chinchilla declared victory Sunday night in Costa Rica's presidential election, after her main rivals, Otton Solis and Otto Guevara, conceded defeat and congratulated her as the country's first female president in history.

Chinchilla won 46.8 percent of the vote from 67.9 percent of the votes counted by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Under the country's constitution, a candidate is required to gain at least 40 percent of the popular votes to win outright.

Following is profile of the new president.

Chinchilla, born on March 28, 1959 in San Jose, majored in political science at the University of Costa Rica in 1977. She got a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1986 and returned to Costa Rica in 1989. She later started her professional career as a consultant.

She became vice minister of public security in 1994, and the first female minister of public security from 1996 to 1998. Chinchilla was elected member of the Legislative Assembly in 2002 and in 2006 she became vice president for incumbent President Oscar Arias.

In November 2008, Chinchilla resigned as vice president to run for for presidency. With 43.8 percent of supports from her National Liberation Party, she became a presidential candidate for her party.

Chinchilla campaigned on a platform promising more jobs, better living standards for children and senior citizens, crackdown on drug trafficking and other crimes.

She was married with one son.

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