Legislative elections: who wants to become a member of Charente-Maritime?

1re constituency: La Rochelle – Ré

The picture as it stands five months before the deadline resembles the spectacle offered to La Rochelle voters for two years with these three camps of former allies who are now angry. First to shoot, the outgoing MP (Freedoms and Territories) Olivier Falorni wears the yellow jersey but he will have to sweat to keep it. The time of the mandate saw the multiplication of opponents dreaming of seeing him fall. He will have on his heels the candidate supported by the mayor of La Rochelle. Several names circulated (Brigitte Desveaux, Guillaume Krabal, Christophe Bertaud, Jean-Philippe Plez, Thibaut…

1re constituency: La Rochelle – Ré

The picture as it stands five months before the deadline resembles the spectacle offered to La Rochelle voters for two years with these three camps of former allies who are now angry. First to shoot, the outgoing MP (Freedoms and Territories) Olivier Falorni wears the yellow jersey but he will have to sweat to keep it. The time of the mandate saw the multiplication of opponents dreaming of seeing him fall. He will have on his heels the candidate supported by the mayor of La Rochelle. Several names have circulated (Brigitte Desveaux, Guillaume Krabal, Christophe Bertaud, Jean-Philippe Plez, Thibaut Guiraud) but the surname that emerges is that of Marie Nédellec, member of the first circle of Jean-François Fountaine and recently elected departmental councilor with the support of the PS. The Greens, boosted by the departmental and regional results, are convinced they have something to play for. Jean-Marc Soubeste appears to be the natural candidate but we are not immune to a surprise: Sandrine Rousseau, finalist in the environmental primary, could claim the nomination. On the side of the walkers and its allies, names are circulating: at LREM, those of Pascal Daunit and Martine Madelaine, on the MoDem side that of Véronique Richez-Lerouge. The Republicans, in an unwinnable constituency, are still struggling to find a candidate.

2e constituency: Rochefort – Aunis

The last time the constituency did not offer itself to the majority party in the National Assembly dates back to 1988 and the election of Clark Gable des Marais, the former mayor (related UDF) of Surgères Jean-Guy Branger. Since then, the territory has rocked according to legislative majorities, a trend accentuated by the adoption of the five-year term in the year 2000 and the coupling of legislative elections with presidential elections. Therefore, will the white smoke come out on the evening of April 22, second round of the presidential election? One thing is certain: it will be a new parliamentarian who will be elected, the outgoing deputy (related MoDem) Frédérique Tuffnell having made it known that she would not stand again. The right has nominated its candidate, the deputy mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage and departmental secretary of the Republicans David Labiche. On the left, the first federal secretary of the PS Rémi Justinien is campaigning for the leader of the Rochefortaise opposition Rémi Letrou to be a candidate. He could find on his way a candidate from the environmental pole formed by EELV and Génération.s, who will give his nominations at the end of February – beginning of March. It will be this Saturday, January 15 for LFI (La France insoumise) where the spokesperson for the Pays rochefortais Nordine Raymond is approached. Finally, on the far right, no name is currently filtering.

3e constituency: Saintes-Saint-Jean-d’Angély

Challenged by his own deputy, Christine Mesland, who may well want to fight it out, LREM deputy Jean-Philippe Ardouin reserves the announcement of a possible candidacy for much later, closer to the presidential election. If he goes there, he will find, as in 2017, Julien Papineau. The Saintais lawyer, former parliamentary attaché of the socialist deputy Catherine Quéré, is currently a part-time parliamentary assistant to the deputy of Vienne, Jean-Michel Clément. A dissident candidate from LREM in 2017, he now claims to belong to the Libertés et Territoires group, formed in 2018 by Rochelais Olivier Falorni. On the left, the mayor of Saint-Jean d’Angély, Françoise Mesnard, announced that she was not interested in the deputation. This would leave the field open to Fabrice Barusseau, departmental councilor of the canton of Chaniers. The chosen one has for him to have beaten the deputy Ardouin, last year during the departmental elections. Fabrice Barusseau admits “to want” but if he had to go, “it would be to win” with a united left. He still needs to gain the confidence of the EELV, communist, rebellious partners. The Republicans have nominated their candidate. This is Bertrand Giraud, farmer in Coivert and LR delegate. The candidate will have a lot to do to make himself known. Another desire, not new, that of Saintais, Pierre Dietz, elected opposition representative in Saintes. He knows, however, that he will “have to be supported by a party. I do not have a choice. I’m working on it. I am solicited by many people including local politicians. A few months ago, there was talk of support from Bruno Drapron, the mayor. But that was a few months ago.

4e constituency: Jonzac

The outgoing LREM deputy, Raphaël Gérard, says he has not yet made his decision but clearly, the desire is there: “Political time remains extremely long, it takes a lot of time to convince and there are projects launched that I wish I could accompany. Afterwards, I did not commit in 2017 to make a career. I will only represent myself if I am sure of keeping this desire until the end of the mandate, ”he confides. The right intends to return to the bosom of the constituency lost five years ago. And it is to someone close to Sylvie Marcilly that the mission falls: Françoise de Roffignac, vice-president in charge of agriculture within the Departmental Council and first deputy of Grézac. The duel promises to be epic.

5e constituency: Royan – Oléron

The fifth constituency of Charente-Maritime, which notably includes part of the Royannais and the Oléronais, should see familiar faces clash next June. On the side of the Republicans, the suspense has fizzled since the outgoing deputy Didier Quentin, president of the departmental federation, is reserved this constituency to try to accomplish, at 75, a sixth term. The Royannais has indeed been elected continuously since 1997. If it is not yet official, Séverine Werbrouck, meanwhile, should defend the colors of the National Rally. The regional and municipal councilor of Saint-Pierre d’Oléron says she is ready. The municipal councilor of Royan Thierry Rogister, he went from the National Rally to Eric Zemmour and his Reconquest movement for which he will be a candidate in June. On the left, it’s still blurry. “Everything will depend on alliances at the national level,” says a possible candidate for the nomination. Remains the presidential majority. Again nothing is decided yet even if some are beginning to advance their pawns.