The Elche Socialist party faced a Sunday that some may call a defeat and others an opportunity. What should not happen is despair or a search for blame. The call for the July 23 General Election ought to push the party to focus on tomorrow. There was hardly time to mend wounds. With Carlos Gonzalez, it becomes clear that one cannot judge the party, its leadership, or the city by the outcome of this Sunday. It was not a single moment that defined an eight-year term. It was not the 28M election alone that removed him from the Mayor’s Office.
Their view of the city comes through a personal and political lens, sometimes bumpy, sometimes unconvincing, but always defendable. He believed he was doing his best. He kept municipal governance stable in 2015 and improved results in the two following cycles, 2019 and 2023, yet that progress did not translate into a new mayoral term this Sunday. Problems ranging from street management to policing, parks, and public celebrations seemed to be framed in broader, national terms rather than strictly local ones.
Ayuso and Pedro Sanchez
Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s televised appearance or Pedro Sánchez’s rollout of a rental law may carry broad implications. What happened in Elche this Sunday highlights that the administration itself faced challenges. This does not hide the fact that different approaches were taken, and there remains a sense that some leaders are more critical of earlier allies while others accept lists that still honor longstanding commitments. But this was not a single moment of blame. The Socialists delivered a strong showing with Carlos González, a recognizable councilor whose support the Socialist leadership had to accept because the party chose to back mayors decisively. Regardless, the socialists remained away from the two traditional formulas they have to manage.
6,172 votes
The PSOE ended with 6,172 votes, aiming to reach 13 councilors on Sunday. That would have meant converting a 38.66% share into 43.4%, a distance that remains substantial. The Socialists were the strongest force in the 28M elections, edging out the PP by a narrow margin. They relied on a more predictable agreement between Pablo Ruz (11 councilors) and Aurora Rodil (Vox, three councilors) to stay competitive.
granddaughter of union-origin immigrants
Suffrage and administration
Sticking with the election results, the Socialists did not bear the expected toll of eight years in power. They gained votes and percentage share, a sign of broader appeal for their management of the city. They collected about 6,200 more votes than in 2019, rising from 36.79% to 38.66%, yet kept the same number of council seats. Gonzalez publicly spoke of an absolute majority, while privately he acknowledged the realities of coalition politics and the spend of internal strife at the ballot box. Representation shifted — and that shift mattered.
Priorities that Vox will transfer to PP to manage Elche
The nationalist party closed the night with 6,174 votes, down one councilor to five point four eight percent. It slipped slightly in percentage terms compared with 2019, while its raw vote total hovered just above four hundred votes more than the last cycle. In Elche, the 28M electorate rose by about six percentage points, to roughly 66 percent, yet Vox’s share declined despite a larger denominator, signaling shifts in local loyalties while maintaining a distinct voice in the council.
Ups, downs and surprises in 28 million votes
The recount brought few surprises. The PSOE led with 12 councilors with about a third of votes counted, but never surged to a thirteenth mayor. The PP moved with the flow, securing 11 councilors as the night stretched on. The deciding factor was Vox, led by Rodil, who remained a cohesive force with over 11.4% of the vote and nearly doubled its footprint from 5.93% to 11.4%, translating to 12,860 votes in 2019 and 6,024 last Sunday. The coming mayoralty will hinge on the PSOE and its ability to navigate coalitions. The PP grew the most, rising from a nadir in 2019 to a robust tally of 42,060 votes, a substantial jump that reshaped the city’s political balance.
impossible alliance
The lingering question is whether a coalition of Compromís and Unidas Podemos could bring a left-led administration to Elche. The answer appears no. The purple coalition received 2,405 votes, nearly half of its 2019 total, which would have allowed Marian Campello to enter the general assembly but would come at the expense of the PSOE rank. The arithmetic remains: the bloc of Socialists and left coalitions would still be short of a majority when combined with PP and Vox. The broader process leading to March 14 accords showed there was little appetite for change that night. A Guanyar-like movement, with Unidas as in other towns, might explain why the nationalist vote continued to fall from its 2015 peak.
The Compromís+Podemos coalition would not serve to repeat the majority of the left in Elche
fourth on the list
Of the 2,700 people who voted in this February primary, about 1,700 backed Esther Díez as their candidate, pressuring negotiations with the purples to the point of offering only fourth place. The leadership change was costly in terms of voter trust and cohesion. The internal campaign left scars, and the path forward is uncertain. If a year ago a pact with Podemos had been reached, perhaps the balance would look different. But for now, the PP appears set to prevail in Elche, and accountability will ride on the next rounds of city politics.