Six months after the municipal elections, eyes are already turning towards the senatorial elections. In a disrupted Ariège political landscape, several candidates are sharpening their ambitions. Among them, an unexpected figure: the president of the Departmental Federation of Hunters, Jean-Luc Fernandez. We’ll explain it to you.
The municipal elections have barely been digested when the next political battle is already looming in Ariège. On September 27, 2026, the electors will be called to the polls to designate the senator who will represent the department at the Palais du Luxembourg for the next six years.
In a territory which only has one seat in the Senate, the issue is particularly strategic. The vote takes place according to a first-past-the-post system in two rounds: a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of the votes cast as well as a quarter of the registered voters to be elected in the first round. Failing that, a second round decides between the contenders.
As everywhere in France, this is an indirect ballot. The voters are the deputies, the outgoing senator, the regional and departmental councilors, but above all the delegates of the municipal councils, who alone represent almost 95% of the electoral college.
“I couldn’t imagine representing Ariège without being, first of all, recognized by my political family”
Long considered a socialist land, Ariège could experience a more open countryside than usual.
Elected in the first round in 2020 to succeed Alain Duran, the socialist Jean-Jacques Michau naturally hoped to run for a new mandate. But on May 28, PS activists chose another path by investing in Kamel Chibli, vice-president of the Occitanie Region. The latter obtained 140 votes out of 184 voters during the internal ballot. “I couldn’t imagine representing Ariège without being, first of all, recognized by my political family,” responded Kamel Chibli after the vote.
An investiture which, however, did not convince the outgoing senator to give up. Quite the contrary. Jean-Jacques Michau confirmed his intention to maintain his candidacy despite the choice of activists. “I had warned the Socialist Party in August. After six years in office, it seemed natural to me to continue the work undertaken in the service of the territory,” he recalled in our columns.
Jean-Luc Fernandez is considering entering the arena
This confrontation between two figures from the same camp could profoundly reshuffle the cards with major voters, traditionally sensitive to local balances.
It is in this context of division that an unexpected candidacy could emerge. According to our information, Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of the Ariège Departmental Federation of Hunters, is seriously considering entering the senatorial race.
An influential figure in the rural world and a regular interlocutor with local elected officials, he could take advantage of the fragmentation of socialist votes to try to unite some of the major voters. If his decision has not yet been officially announced, his possible entry into the running would constitute one of the main unknowns of this campaign.
An already extensive political offer
On the left, La France insoumise has already designated its tandem composed of Martine Crespo and François Lafon to carry the colors of the movement in the upper house. Environmentalists, for their part, chose Capucine-Marin Dubroca as their official candidate. Another confirmed candidacy, that of Jérôme Azema. During the 2020 senatorial election, 156 Ariège elected officials, the vast majority of them mayors, placed their trust in him with 26.31% of the votes.
Newly elected mayor of La Bastide-du-Salat, Véronique Rousseau would also be likely to solicit the votes of major voters. Contacted, the elected official has so far not responded to our requests.
The campaign is, however, far from being static. Applications can be submitted between September 7 and 11, 2026, leaving several weeks for applicants to declare themselves.
In the corridors of local communities, some observers do not rule out new surprises. Especially since in 2020, no less than seven candidates competed to succeed Alain Duran. The battle for the Senate promises to be particularly open and could hold many twists and turns.
