The Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López, wins the PSOE primaries in Madrid by surpassing 15% of support from the membership census. Now the candidacy for the Mayor of the capital remains to be decided.
The PSOE of Madrid now has its candidate for the regional elections of 2027. Óscar López, current secretary general of the party in the region and Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, achieved the maximum endorsements required in the primaries process this Saturday. According to socialist sources, López exceeded the 2,092 supports needed, which represent 15% of the membership census, direct affiliates, and members of the Youth Socialist Party of Madrid. No other pre-candidacy reached the minimum required.
The race for the Mayor of Madrid remains open
While the regional candidacy is resolved, the battle for the Madrid City Council continues. The primaries in the capital are still underway and Reyes Maroto, the socialist spokesperson in Cibeles, and her deputy spokesperson, Enma López, have submitted their endorsements. Both are expected to reach the necessary figure to compete in the primaries. This Sunday, the information campaign for the capital's members begins, which will last until Saturday the 18th. The final vote will take place on Sunday the 19th, from which the candidate to challenge José Luis Martínez-Almeida for the Mayor's office will emerge.
López has already shown veiled support for Reyes Maroto. During the LGTBIQ+ Pride march last Saturday, the minister called on her to "change Madrid" starting in 2027. He has also backed the socialist spokesperson in the Assembly, Mar Espinar.
A tougher opposition against Ayuso
Since López took over as secretary general of the PSOE of Madrid, the tone of the socialists has hardened against the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Just a week after his appointment, López described Ayuso's management as a "cultural counter-revolution" that goes "against the advancement of civilization." Since then, the clash has been constant, with the president's partner, Alberto González Amador, and the company Quirón as the main targets of PSOE's criticism.
In 2021, the PSOE lost the leadership of the opposition by tying with Más Madrid at 24 seats, which received about 6,000 more votes. In 2023, the tie was repeated, with Más Madrid surpassing the socialists in ballots. López will need to overcome that difference to contest the presidency against Ayuso.
It remains to be seen when López will leave his position in the Government of Spain to focus on the campaign. He will thus follow the path of other ministers who have held positions until the elections, such as Diana Morant in the Valencian Community, or Pilar Alegría and María Jesús Montero in Aragón and Andalusia, respectively.
For the residents of the Community of Madrid, López's candidacy represents a shift in the opposition, which promises to be more frontal against Ayuso's government. The next milestone will be the election of the candidate for the Mayor of Madrid, which will be known on July 19. From there, the Madrid socialists will begin to shape their electoral program for 2027.
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