Authorities called the race Sunday night after his three nearest rivals conceded, with Mulino securing nearly 35 percent of the votes.
Mulino only became a candidate in February when he stepped in to replace former president Ricardo Martinelli, who took refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City after local courts ratified his sentence for money laundering.
Before the election, Mulino was best known for his tough stance against anti-government protesters during his time as security minister under Martinelli's administration which governed from 2009 to 2014.
Jose Raul Mulino, a stand-in for a former president banned from running, has won the country’s presidential elections.
