By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA, March 9 (Reuters) - Colombia's ruling party, the left-leaning Historic Pact, emerged from Sunday's elections as the strongest political force in the incoming Senate, analysts said on Monday,

Senator Paloma Valencia is now among the favorites to become Colombia’s next president after her landslide win in primaries on Sunday. Valencia got 55% of votes in the contest held by conservative candidates,

A 48-year-old conservative senator aiming to replace Gustavo Petro may have a chance to be the first woman to serve as president in Colombia.

Politicians in Colombia have increasingly become targets of violence. A rise in kidnappings, death threats and assassinations has shaken the country ahead of the vote.

Paloma Valencia’s win in the center-right coalition may reset the race, but the next government will need to build alliances in a fragmented Congress.

Colombians are voting in primaries Sunday that will produce three candidates — one each from the conservative, leftist and centrist blocs — who will go on to face hardline frontrunners Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella in May’s presidential election.

Colombia's ruling leftist coalition, the Historic Pact, emerged as the largest force in the Senate after legislative elections Sunday.

Colombia’s Julio Teheran was scratched from his scheduled start against Canada in the World Baseball Classic because of right shoulder impingement while warming up and was replaced by Austin Bergner for the game at San Juan,