The president of the PP and candidate for the Presidency of the Government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has configured the Madrid candidacy for Congress for the general elections on November 29 by surrounding himself with trusted leaders, several deputy secretaries of the party, and a prominent group of female mayors from Madrid.
In the elections on July 23, 2023, the PP achieved 16 seats in Madrid, but Feijóo has now set his team the goal of improving that record in the November elections. "You have the commitment and the obligation to increase two seats in Madrid," he acknowledged he asked Álvarez de Toledo when he informed her that she would be his number two.
Last Thursday, the popular leadership announced that the deputy Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo would occupy the second place on the list for Madrid and that the third position would fall to the national spokesperson of the party, Borja Sémper, who was already number three in 2023. From 'Génova' they emphasized then that both represent "different ways of understanding Spain" and that in the PP there is room for "all sensitivities."
Additionally, on Saturday the PP confirmed that the MEP and deputy secretary of Sectoral Coordination, Alma Ezcurra, responsible for coordinating the electoral program for the general elections, will be number four on the Madrid candidacy for Congress.
Marta Varela and Mar Sánchez strengthen the core of Feijóo's team
This Monday, the Popular Party has made public the complete list for Congress from Madrid, which includes several members of Feijóo's closest circle, starting with his two main collaborators: Marta Varela, chief of staff of the PP leader, and Mar Sánchez, his right-hand woman for three decades. Both repeat in the candidacy, this time in positions six and eight.
Feijóo has also decided to incorporate other deputy secretaries into this list. Along with Sémper and Ezcurra are the deputy secretary of Education and Equality, Jaime de los Santos, who is in number five, and the deputy secretary of Economy, Alberto Nadal, who appears in position nine. The head of International of the PP, Ildefonso Castro, is also included in the Madrid candidacy, in number 11.
The popular leader has reserved several positions for mayors of the Community of Madrid: Lucía Soledad Fernández, mayor of San Sebastián de los Reyes; Rocío García, mayor of Alcobendas; and Paloma Tejero, at the head of the Pozuelo de Alarcón City Council. They occupy numbers 14, 16, and 18, respectively.
Among the new additions, María Martín Revuelta stands out, former director of the consulting firm GAD3 and former deputy, who joined a few months ago the team of the general secretary of the PP, Miguel Tellado, and is listed in the 12th position.
Regional councilors and former officials of the Madrid government
With an eye on a possible government scenario after November 29, Feijóo has chosen to surround himself with profiles with experience in regional and municipal management. The current councilor for Environment, Agriculture, and Interior of the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, enters the list for Madrid in the number seven position. Paloma Martín, senator in the last legislature and former Madrid councilor for Environment, Housing, and Agriculture, also joins.
The candidacy also includes José Antonio Sánchez Serrano, until now deputy councilor of the Presidency, and José Enrique Núñez, former deputy councilor of Justice, who are positioned in the 19th and 13th places, respectively. The former president of the Senate, Pío García Escudero, closes the most prominent part of the list in the number 25 position.
The former deputy mayor of the capital, Manuel Cobo, the former president of the Assembly of Madrid, María Eugenia Carballedo, and the deputies Pedro Muñoz Abrines, Aurora Nacarino-Brabo, and Edurne Uriarte reappear on the candidacy for Congress by Madrid, although all of them drop positions. The most significant case is that of Carballedo, who was number four three and a half years ago and now moves to the 24th position, with few options to revalidate the seat.
Reformismo21, New Generations, and commitment to generational change
The new president of the 'think tank' Reformismo21, Gabriel Elorriaga, who was a senior official under José María Aznar and a deputy under Mariano Rajoy, appears again on the list for Madrid in the 21st position, the same position he held in 2023.
In terms of generational change, Feijóo has included in the candidacy the president of New Generations, Ignacio Dancausa, in the number 23 position, a gesture with which the 'popular' aim to strengthen their appeal among young voters. Dancausa took over the leadership of the youth organization this summer, replacing the Basque Beatriz Fanjul.
Pedro Rollán repeats as head of the Senate list for Madrid
In the Upper House, the list for Madrid will again be headed by the former mayor of Torrejón de Ardoz, Pedro Rollán, who has presided over the Senate in this legislature.
After Rollán, Feijóo has placed Inmaculada Sanz, current deputy mayor and spokesperson for the Madrid City Council in the team led by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, as number two for the Senate for Madrid.
The third place on the Senate candidacy is occupied by Carlos García Adanero, former leader of Unión del Pueblo Navarro, who has been a deputy for Madrid for the last three and a half years and who now competes for a seat in the Upper House.
Complete list for Madrid to Congress and the Senate
- CONGRESS OF DEPUTIES:
1.- Alberto Núñez Feijóo
2.- Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo Peralta-Ramos
3.- Borja Sémper Pascual
4.- Alma Lucía Ezcurra Almansa
5.- Jaime Miguel de los Santos González
6.- Marta Varela Pazos
7.- Carlos Novillo Piris
8.- María del Mar Sánchez Sierra
9.- Alberto Nadal Belda
10.- Paloma Martín Martín
11.- Ildefonso Castro López
12.- María Martín Revuelta
13.- José Enrique Núñez Guijarro
14.- Lucía Soledad Fernández Alonso
15.- Manuel Cobo Vega
16.- Rocío García Alcántara
17.- Pedro Muñoz Abrines
18.- Paloma Tejero Toledo
19.- José Antonio Sánchez Serrano
20.- Aurora Nacarino-Brabo Jiménez
21.- Gabriel Elorriaga Pisarik
22.- Edurne Uriarte Bengoechea
23.- Ignacio Dancausa García
24.- María Eugenia Carballedo Berlanga
25.- Pío García-Escudero Márquez
26.- Janette Novo Castillo
27.- Antonio Zapatero Gaviria
28.- Carmen Cervantes Guijarro
29.- Antonio José Mesa Garrido
30.- Patricia Maroto Benito
31.- Roberto Marín Vergara
32.- Marta Marbán De Frutos
33.- Héctor Carracedo Rufo
34.- Belén Rodríguez Palomino
35.- Félix Ochoa Maldonado
36.- Ana Belén Barbero Martín
37.- David Rodríguez Roldán
38.- Aránzazu Povedano Fraguela
Substitute 1.- Antonio Sin Hernández
Substitute 2.- Antonia Ayuso García
Substitute 3.- Álvaro Picazo Arranz
Substitute 4.- Alejandra de la Torre Santos
Substitute 5.- Jesús Martínez Caballero
Substitute 6.- Lucía Diego Solana
Substitute 7.- Álvaro Aranda Arranz
- SENATE:
1.- Pedro Rollán Ojeda
S.1.1.- Arancha Álvarez Peinado
S.1.2.- Mariano Núñez Muñoz
2.- María Inmaculada Sanz Otero
S.2.1.- José Yepes Jiménez
S.2.2.- Almudena Corral Ocaña
3.- Carlos García Adanero
S.3.1.- Nerea Infantes Ramos
S.3.2.- Rafael García Gutiérrez