Elections in Castilla y León: how the community has voted since 1983
The elections in Castilla y León that are held this March 15, 2026 come after more than 40 years of autonomous electoral history.
The community held its first elections in 1983, and since then the voting behavior has shown a clear characteristic: the hegemony of the Popular Party, which has won practically all autonomous elections.
Only on two occasions did the PSOE manage to win at the polls: in the first regional elections of 1983 and those of 2019.
The historic dominance of the PP in Castilla y León
Since the nineties, Castilla y León consolidated itself as one of the main electoral strongholds of the Popular Party.
The PP obtained some of its best historic results in:
- 1995, with 50 prosecutors
- 2011, with 53 prosecutors
Furthermore, during several consecutive electoral cycles, it achieved very solid results. In 1999, 2003, and 2007, the Populars obtained 48 procurators in each election, clearly prevailing over the PSOE.
This dominance has allowed the party to govern the community for decades.
The two victories of the PSOE
Despite the predominance of the PP, the PSOE has won the regional elections twice in Castilla y León.
The first was in 1983, when the socialists achieved 42 procurators against the 39 of the PP, in the first regional elections after the creation of the community.
The second arrived in 2019, when the PSOE was again the most voted force with 35 procurators against the 29 of the Popular Party.
However, the result did not translate into a change of government.
The end of bipartisanship since 2015
From 2015, the political landscape began to change with the emergence of new formations that fragmented the electoral map. Among them, consecutively, stand out Podemos, Ciudadanos and Vox.
To these were added regionalist parties that have gained influence in certain provinces, such as UPL (Union of the Leonese People), Soria Now! and For Ávila
The appearance of these parties reduced the weight of traditional bipartisanship and opened scenarios of more complex parliamentary pacts.
How the vote has changed by municipalities
The municipal data also reflect the political evolution of the community.
In the 2011 elections, the PP dominated most of the electoral map. However, in subsequent elections the PSOE was expanding its territorial presence.
In the 2022 elections the map became even more diverse, with the appearance of new political colors.
This phenomenon reflects the growth of regionalist forces and new political options in various areas of the community.
A possible change of political cycle
Although the Popular Party remains the favorite in many polls, the current political context shows a greater electoral fragmentation than in previous decades.
The increased weight of regionalist parties and the consolidation of Vox as the third force can influence the formation of parliamentary majorities.
Therefore, the elections in Castilla y León in 2026 are interpreted as a key test to check if the PP's historic electoral dominance is maintained or if the political map continues to diversify.