Jorge Sharp

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sharp and the second or maternal family name is Fajardo.

Jorge Esteban Sharp Fajardo (born 25 March 1985) is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He was the mayor of Valparaíso from 2016 to 2024.

Jorge Sharp
Sharp at FILSA (2017)
Mayor of Valparaíso
In office 6 December 2016 – 14 November 2024
Preceded by	Marina Huerta Rosales
Succeeded by	Camila Nieto
President of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso Students Federation
In office 2009–2010
Preceded by	Carla Amtmann
Succeeded by	Nataly Espinoza
Personal details
Born	(1985-03-25) 25 March 1985 (age 40) Punta Arenas, Chile
Political party	Autonomous Left (2008–2016) Autonomist Movement (2016–2018) Social Convergence (2018–2019)
Parent(s)	Jorge Sharp Galetovic Leonor Fajardo
Alma mater	Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (LL.B)
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer

Early life

Born in Punta Arenas, Magallanes Region, he is the son of Leonor Fajardo Filipic and Jorge Sharp Galetovic.^[1][2] His father in 2013 was decorated as a "illustrious citizen" of the Region.

He began as a student leader in Magallanes, being part of FESES' regional re-founding (1999–2000), and his school (Liceo Salesiano San José) student center's president.^[3]

Political career

University politics

In 2003, he moved to Valparaíso to study law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV). He was a member of the Center for Academic Legal Studies between 2005 and 2006.^[3] In 2015 he graduated as a lawyer.^[4]

During his university period, Sharp was an active participant in the 2006 student protests in Chile and became a founding member of Autonomous Left (IA), a left-wing organization led by then fellow law student Gabriel Boric. He ran for president of Student Center of the PUCV Law School in 2006, and the following year for president of the PUCV Student Federation (FEPUCV). Sharp did not win either election. In 2008, he was part of the PUCV Student Cordon.^[3] Also in 2008, Sharp came to FEPUCV board as vice president; he took over as president of federation in 2009.^[3]

Mayoralty of Valparaíso

In 2016, he presented himself as an Izquierda Autónoma pre-candidate for the "citizen primary" to run for Mayor of Valparaíso in that year's municipal elections of that year, which he won with 1703 votes. The same year, he was one of the leaders who, along with Boric, left Izquierda Autónoma to form Autonomist Movement.^[1] In the 23 October election, he was elected Mayor of Valparaíso with 53% of the votes over Jorge Castro,^[4] rightist candidate and militant of the Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI).

In 2021 Chilean municipal elections, he was re-elected as mayor of Valparaíso.^[5]