Reyes Maroto defeats Enma López by 204 votes in PSOE Madrid primary, set to challenge Almeida in 2027

Primary result

Reyes Maroto won the PSOE primary for Madrid mayor on Sunday, defeating her deputy Enma López by 204 votes. Maroto received 1,045 ballots to López's 841, according to party sources. The vote took place from 9:30 to 19:30, with polls closing early to avoid clashing with the World Cup final. Maroto, a former industry minister and current PSOE spokesperson in the city council, will now face incumbent mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida of the Partido Popular in the May 2027 municipal elections.

A contested race

The primary was triggered on 25 June when López, Maroto's own number two and campaign director in 2023, unexpectedly announced her candidacy. The move disrupted the federal and regional leadership's plan, which had already designated Maroto as the candidate alongside Óscar López for the regional presidency. In the endorsement phase, Maroto gathered 1,376 signatures to López's 1,028, but López dominated digital endorsements (587 to 186) and small-donor fundraising. The race exposed tensions within the Madrid socialist federation, with some viewing López's challenge as a test of internal democracy.

Whoever wins, tomorrow the Socialist Party will emerge stronger because our only goal is to win in 2027.

Campaign themes

Maroto campaigned on continuity, arguing that changing the candidate every four years weakens the party's chances. She highlighted her record of increasing the PSOE's council seats from eight to eleven in 2023 and promised to ban Airbnb rentals and halt the sale of public land for speculation. López ran under the slogan "Ya toca" (It's time), referencing the nearly four decades since the PSOE last won the Madrid mayoralty. She called for a renewal of the socialist project in the capital.

Very proud of the work done, very proud of the whole team that has accompanied me these days.

Party dynamics

The primary highlighted the tension between the party's institutional control and its grassroots. Maroto, as secretary general of PSOE Madrid City, had the backing of most of the municipal group and the federal leadership. López's challenge was seen by some as a symptom of unease with the practice of parachuting national figures into local races. Maroto herself was appointed in 2023 after a series of high-profile candidates who left after electoral defeats. She is the first to stay and build an opposition project, increasing the PSOE's representation from eight to eleven councillors.

Primaries are a very healthy exercise in internal democracy and highly recommended for other parties, especially the PP.

What comes next

Maroto's victory locks in the PSOE's electoral ticket for Madrid in 2027: Óscar López will challenge regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, while Maroto takes on Almeida. The primary result was announced around 20:25, and both candidates immediately called for party unity. Maroto now faces the task of building a platform to unseat the PP, which has controlled the city since 2019. The PSOE has not won the Madrid mayoralty since 1989, and Maroto's 2023 result placed the party third behind the PP and Más Madrid.