Pont-Saint-Esprit municipal by-election: Gérome Bouvier elected mayor in the first round

Gérome Bouvier won 50.32% of the votes in the first round of this partial municipal election in Pont-Saint-Esprit against RN candidate Emmanuel Le Pargneux and outgoing mayor Claire Lapeyronie.

Surprise in Pont-Saint-Esprit. Only one round was necessary to deliver the verdict of this municipal by-election. Gérome Bouvier (Demain Pont-Saint-Esprit) emerged victorious from this election by being elected in the first round with 50.32&nbsp ;% of votes. He beats the RN candidate Emmanuel Le Pargneux (Renouveau Spiripontain), credited with 34.55% of the votes. The outgoing mayor Claire Lapeyronie (Pont d’abord) collects only 14.84  % of votes.

It was she who announced the outcome of this vote. "I wish the best to Mr. Bouvier and his entire team", she said. The election mobilized the Spiripontans. For this first round, participation was 3,914 voters out of 7,320 registered, i.e. a rate of 53.47%.

Serial resignations

Claire Lapeyronie therefore did not succeed in her challenge of retaining the town hall. Appointed mayor in 2018 by Roger Castillon, she was elected on her behalf in 2020 after a duel with Catherine Chantry. But in recent months, deep disagreements have arisen within its majority. In the fall, she therefore decided to withdraw their delegations from five of her deputies and advisors.

In February, surprise, the entire opposition resigned as a whole, in the wake of the dismissed deputies. This forced the prefect of Gard to organize new elections, due to a lack of sufficient elected officials. Despite the support of Regional President Carole Delga and a renewed list, the outgoing mayor therefore failed to convince her constituents. The National Rally, which achieved significant scores in Pont-Saint-Esprit during the national elections, hoped to take advantage of the opportunity to capture the town of 10,000 inhabitants. But his candidate, parliamentary attaché to the RN deputy Pierre Meurin, has no ties to Pont-Saint-Esprit. It is Gérome Bouvier, at the head of a list that ;he says "citizen", in any case of very diverse sensibilities, who benefits from it and becomes the new mayor of the city.