Óscar López files unopposed for Madrid regional primary as Enma López challenges Reyes Maroto for mayor
Spain's ruling Socialists opened candidate selection in Madrid on Thursday, with regional leader Óscar López the sole entry for the top-of-ticket race while a two-way battle emerged for the mayoral slot.
Candidacy announcements
The PSOE started accepting bids for its Madrid internal primaries on Thursday 2 July. Óscar López, the party's regional secretary-general and Minister for Digital Transformation, was the first to register, confirming he will lead the socialist ticket against the conservative regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, in the May 2027 elections. No rival had emerged by Thursday evening, and former regional leader Juan Lobato publicly ruled out a run.
Madrid needs a change. Madrid needs us to be brave.
López recorded his announcement video in the working-class district of San Blas-Canillejas, where he grew up, and accused the PP government of putting private interests ahead of public services. He promised to make housing a right, strengthen education and health, and turn Madrid into a green region.
Mayoral contest takes shape
The same day, city councillor Enma López filed her precandidacy for mayor, setting up a direct contest with the Socialist group's current spokesperson, Reyes Maroto. Enma López, who had signalled her move a week earlier, framed it as a response to grassroots demand for renewal.
It's time to bring hope to all those people who vote for PSOE in general elections but not in Madrid.
Maroto, a former trade and tourism minister, will make her own announcement on Friday 3 July at 11:00 in the Plaza de la Villa. Her team said the delay was deliberate, so as not to overshadow Óscar López's launch.
Lobato stays out
Juan Lobato, who led the party's 2023 campaign and later clashed with the national leadership, said he would not compete. He argued that a mid-July primary restricted to party members was not the right format.
In a process like this, internal and in the middle of July, I don't think it's the ideal format and I don't think it's convenient.
His decision leaves López without a challenger for the regional candidacy, making it almost certain the minister will be proclaimed without a contested vote.
Timetable
The primary schedule runs on a tight calendar. After the two-day filing window closes, candidates will collect endorsements from party militants between 4 and 11 July. An informational campaign follows from 12 to 18 July, with the first-round vote on Sunday 19 July. A run-off, if needed, would take place on 26 July.
- Filing opens: Óscar López and Enma López submit candidacies.
- Filing closes; Reyes Maroto expected to formalise mayoral bid at 11:00.
- Endorsement gathering begins (runs until 11 July).
- Informational campaign starts (until 18 July).
- First-round vote; if no majority, runoff on 26 July.
