Nine Lists Vie for Lyon Mayoral Seat in 2026 Municipal Elections
Lyon, France – March 2, 2026 – The official list of candidates for the first round of the 2026 municipal elections in Lyon has been released, confirming nine distinct electoral lists. This marks a significant development in the local political landscape, with a range of established figures and new contenders vying for the city’s top office.
The announcement, made on Monday, March 2, 2026, details the full roster of candidates who will compete for the central mayoralty, a process influenced by recent modifications to the PLM law. The confirmed lists represent a broad spectrum of political ideologies, from the incumbent environmentalist-socialist alliance to various right-wing, left-wing, and independent movements.
Key Candidates and Their Alliances
Among the prominent figures are current mayor Grégory Doucet, leading the “Pour Vivre Lyon” alliance, which includes The Ecologists, the Socialist Party (PS), the Communist Party (PCF), and Génération.s. His main challenger is expected to be Jean-Michel Aulas, former president of Olympique Lyonnais, who heads the “Cœur Lyonnais” list. Aulas is supported by a coalition of right-wing and centrist parties, including Les Républicains (LR), Renaissance, Horizons, MoDem, and UDI.
Other notable candidates include Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi for La France Insoumise (LFI), leading the “Faire Mieux pour Lyon” list, and Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, a municipal councilor, running with “Lyon avec vous!” representing the Radical Left Party (PRG), Gauche Citoyenne, and various left-wing independents. Another municipal councilor, Georges Képénékian, is also in the running with “Lyon c’est maintenant,” an independent list backed by Équinoxe, Volt, and En Commun!
The far-right is represented by Alexandre Humbert Dupalais, whose “Retrouver Lyon” list is supported by the Union of the Right (UDR) and the National Rally. Additionally, three far-left candidates have entered the race: Delphine Briday for Lutte Ouvrière, Michaël Jouteaux for Le parti des travailleurs, and Raphaëlle Mizony for the Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste (NPA) Révolutionnaire.
Arrondissement-Specific Dynamics and Surprises
According to figures from the prefecture, Lyon has the highest number of competing lists within the Rhône department, surpassing Vénissieux, Villeurbanne, Bron, and Saint-Fons, which each have six lists. This highlights the intense political interest and competition surrounding the city’s governance.
Some anticipated candidates, such as Baptiste Jacquet and Nizar Touihri, failed to assemble complete lists, despite earlier indications of their candidacies. This underscores the challenges of mobilizing support and resources in a competitive electoral environment.
While the main contenders (Doucet, Aulas, Cherifi, and Dupalais) have managed to field lists across all nine arrondissements, other candidates have faced difficulties. Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, for instance, could not form lists in the 2nd, 6th, and 5th arrondissements. Georges Képénékian is only presenting an arrondissement list in the 4th. The Spartacus movement is represented solely in the 2nd and 6th arrondissements, and the NPA in the 8th. Lutte Ouvrière has lists in all arrondissements except the 2nd and 6th.
The diversity of candidates and the varying levels of representation across Lyon’s arrondissements suggest a complex and closely watched election. The coming weeks are expected to see intensified campaigning as candidates aim to secure voter support ahead of the first round.
