In the Hérault, almost all the candidates for the legislative elections are now known. The department carried Marine Le Pen in the lead in the presidential election, but Jean-Luc Mélenchon was a hit in Montpellier, like nowhere else in a town of more than 200,000 inhabitants. Five years ago, the candidates of La République en Marche won seven constituencies. Six of them are representing themselves with the hope of retaining their mandate. While the Animalist Party and Reconquest have candidates everywhere, the presence of many dissidents, socialists, LREM or even LFI will undoubtedly reshuffle the cards. The point in each of the constituencies.
1st constituency
In this constituency south of Montpellier, outgoing MP Patricia Mirallès (Territory of Progress) leaves with the support of Renaissance, Emmanuel Macron’s party. The elected official, who knows her territory perfectly, has been singled out by Mediapart, which accuses her of unjustified expenses during her mandate, which she firmly denies. Its main opponents will be Julien Colet (LFI) and France Jamet (RN). The leader of the RN in Montpellier, therefore, takes up the torch after having retired from local political life to assume her mandate as an MEP.
2nd constituency
This is the only 100% Montpellier circuit. One of the few who escaped LREM five years ago in Hérault. During the presidential election, 45.1% of voters cast a Mélenchon ballot in the ballot box. What to ensure a victory of the Nupes? It is far from being so obvious. The outgoing deputy Muriel Ressiguier (LFI) did not obtain the nomination and will present herself as a dissident of Nathalie Oziol (LFI) with the mayor of Grabels René Revol as her substitute. Question of dissidence, the circo is full: Fatima Bellaredj (PS) obtained the support of Michaël Delafosse, mayor (PS) of Montpellier and Carole Delga, president (PS) of the region. In the center, Annie Yague, the former municipal councilor of Philippe Saurel (DVG), was invested by Renaissance. In the process, the walker of the first hour, Mahfoud Benali, announced his candidacy, again dissenting.
3rd constituency
With the withdrawal of outgoing MP Coralie Dubost (Renaissance), the circo seems particularly open. The mayor (LR) of Saint-Clément-de-Rivière, Laurence Cristol, was invested by the presidential majority in the only constituency of Hérault to have voted mainly for Emmanuel Macron in the two rounds of the presidential elections. Former Montpellier mayor Philippe Saurel (DVG) has announced that he is also running. Nupes invested there the one who will be the only EELV candidate of the department, Julia Mignacca.
4th constituency
No sooner had he been presented to the press as a dissident candidate than the mayor of Aniane, Philippe Salasc (PS), threw in the towel two days later, under pressure from the running mates of his commune. In this rural constituency, the outgoing deputy, Jean-François Eliaou (LREM) will notably face him Sébastien Rome (LFI) and the candidate of the National Rally, Manon Bouquin. They are nine in total to have announced their candidacy so far in the 4th.
5th constituency
This constituency is the most rural and the largest in the department. Marine Le Pen came out on top in the first round of the presidential elections with more than 31% of the votes cast. Stéphanie Galzy (RN) will try to capitalize on this score to succeed Philippe Huppé (Agir), the outgoing deputy, elected under the LREM label. Pierre Polard (LFI) will represent the Union on the left, but not all of the left: the lieutenant-colonel of the firefighters, Aurélien Manenc, also mayor of the town of Lunas, will try to set fire, with the agreement of the local PS.
6th constituency
Outgoing deputy in Biterrois, Emmanuelle Ménard is a candidate for re-election. Faced with the wife of the mayor of Béziers, close to the RN without being a member of the party (just like her husband), the RN will not present a candidate. She leaves as a big favorite in a constituency where all the municipalities have carried Marine Le Pen in the lead in the presidential elections. Magalie Crozier (LFI) or Mathilde Tastavy (Ensemble), will try to create a surprise.
7th constituency
This constituency, which includes Agde and Sète, has so far always escaped the RN despite its good scores in the national elections (43% in the 1st round in the cumulative votes for Le Pen and Zemmour). Aurélien Lopez-Liguori will try to succeed Christophe Euzet (Agir), the outgoing deputy (for the LREM group). It is a communist, Gabriel Blasco, who was appointed by Nupes, on a long red land, thanks to the various mandates of François Liberti (ex-deputy mayor of Sète). But he will have to deal with the dissidence of the socialist Julie Garcin-Saudo… with whom he sits in the majority on the departmental council.
8th precinct
Outgoing MP Nicolas Démoulin announced in January his intention not to run for a second term. Twice vice-president of the LREM group, twice rapporteur, on emergency accommodation and on rental evictions, he leaves to the mayor of Saint-Georges d’Orques, Jean-François Audrin, the task of trying to succeed him . Sylvain Carrière (LFI) and Cédric Delapierre (RN) will be his main opponents. Here, Mélenchon, Le Pen and Macron stood in a pocket handkerchief in the first round of the presidential election.
9th precinct
Patrick Vignal (Together), elected in 2012 with the PS, then in 2017 with LREM, is seeking a third term. He will face an old acquaintance. It is another former socialist, Frédéric Bord, ex-adviser to the mayor of Montpellier Georges Frêche (PS, then DVG), who will try to bring victory there for the RN. In this constituency which touches Montpellier and the Lunellois, the scores were also very tight in the first round between (in this order) Le Pen, Macron and Mélenchon. Nadia Belaouni (LFI), elected opposition member in Aimargues, was chosen to carry the voice of Nupes.