Michaël Delafosse, the outgoing Socialist mayor of Montpellier, has officially announced his candidacy for a second term at the head of the city for the municipal elections scheduled for March 2026. This announcement, expected for several weeks, formalizes a campaign already effectively initiated by the mayor since last autumn.

An Expected but Confirmed Announcement

On January 17, 2026, Michaël Delafosse confirmed his decision to run for a new term in an open letter to Montpellier residents published in the regional daily Midi Libre, following a period of rumors and public support from various left-wing parties and allied groups.

The mayor, elected in 2020 in a four-party configuration, states that he wishes to continue the work begun six years ago, which he describes as a phase of "very great transformation" for Montpellier.

First Project Elements Already Sketched

Delafosse enters the campaign with several political elements already highlighted for several months, outlining the main lines of his project for a second term:

Free Transport and Mobility

Maintaining and extending free public transport for metropolitan residents constitutes one of the pillars of his action, with particular attention paid to the tram network, including the recent inauguration of Line 5.

Continuity of Urban Transformation

Delafosse highlights the consolidation of ecological and social transformations already initiated, which he wishes to pursue.

Renovation and Daily Life Improvement Projects

Without presenting an exhaustive campaign program so far, several ongoing local policies hint at project axes:

• Urban renovation, notably in neighborhoods like La Mosson;
• Strengthening social housing and developing public spaces;
• Projects related to education, local employment, or daily security.

Although these topics are not presented as a complete campaign program at this stage, they reflect the priorities displayed by Delafosse during his first term.

A Candidacy Supported by an Enlarged Majority

The outgoing mayor can count on broad support on the left, including:

• Socialist Party (PS),
• Radical Party of the Left (PRG),
• Communist Party (PCF),
• Place Publique,
• Génération Écologie,
• Animalist Party.

Despite this, the left appears divided overall with the announced presence of competing lists, notably those led by Nathalie Oziol (LFI) and Jean-Louis Roumégas (Greens), complicating the local political landscape.

Delafosse Facing an Already Started Campaign

The official announcement comes as the campaign is already well underway:

• The municipal majority has multiplied thematic assessments,
• Speeches on social networks and in neighborhoods have initiated a discourse of continuity,
• And several polls put Delafosse in the lead, comforted by the absence of a single union list of the entire left.

What Remains to Be Unveiled

At this stage, Delafosse has not yet published a complete program, detailed or costed for 2026. His public statements and recent positions nevertheless outline some priorities, centered on:

• Free and sustainable mobility,
• Consolidated ecological transition,
• Urban planning and neighborhood renovation,
• As well as social cohesion measures.

It is less a project of rupture than a project of continuation and consolidation of policies already implemented since 2020 — a posture that can be an asset in a city where the municipal majority presents itself as experienced but also a challenge facing a fragmented opposition.

Political Context

Delafosse will face several declared competitors in an already fragmented political landscape: Mohed Altrad, already a candidate in 2020, officialized his candidacy a few days earlier, and other lists — ranging from the right to the far right — are also announcing themselves for March.