Paris mayoral election: Who's running?
After 25 years of Socialist rule, under mayors Bertrand Delanoë (2001-2014) and Anne Hidalgo (2014-2026), Paris's City Hall could swing back to the right in the upcoming municipal elections in March 2026. The six main candidates, each polling above 5%, are in contention to take over from Hidalgo, who is not standing for re-election. On the left, the Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire represents Paris' incumbent majority and has taken on the role of Hidalgo's heir apparent, while Sophia Chikirou (La France Insoumise) is challenging him and seeking to boost her radical left-wing movement. On the right, Rachida Dati (Les Républicains) has positioned herself as the main opposition figure to the Socialist City Hall, but Pierre-Yves Bournazel (Horizons) is also vying for that position and is emerging as a potential kingmaker in the second electoral round. On the far right, Sarah Knafo, from Eric Zemmou's Reconquête! party, and Thierry Mariani, from Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National, are both unlikely to win, but they see the election as a chance to boost their parties' standing and gain a foothold in Parisian local politics. Who are these candidates, and what challenges do they face? Le Monde presents the top candidates for mayor below.
The main candidates
Click on a candidate's portrait to see their profile in detail.
Candidate profiles
Manon Romain and Hélène Bekmezian Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.
