Jacques Peyrat (1986, 1997,), Christian Estrosi (1988, 1993,), Jean-Paul Barety (1994), Jacqueline Mathieu-Obadia (1998), and today Muriel Marland Militello since June 16, 2002, make this sector of the city a true stronghold of the local right-wing. In 2002, the second round already featured a high-profile contest with a three-way race composed of MMM, the late Marie-France Stirbois, and the leader of Nice’s left, Patrick Mottard. An overwhelming majority of the three Nice political heavyweights gathered more than 83% of the 37,648 voters in a constituency that totals 67,362, resulting in an abstention rate of 44.11%.
At the end of the first round, three candidates stand out. The FN and its candidate garner 23.02% of the votes, while the PS and its leader clinch 26.61%, and the UMP and its favorite position themselves with 33.68% before a second round that will ultimately see Muriel Marland Militello winning against her two rivals with more than 46% of the expressed votes, compared to 33.79% for Patrick Mottard and 20.13% for Marie-France Stirbois. Some familiar political figures from Nice tried their hand in this election, which initially counted Jean-Pierre Mangiapan, Simone Monticelli, or Jean-Paul Perez.
The next election will again pit MMM against Mottard, but this time it will not be Patrick who defends the colors of the PS and the Greens, but his wife Dominique, who will have the daunting task of trying to match her record in the seventh canton, which she took in June 2005 from Jean Hanot and the local right-wing. Following the passing of Marie-France Stirbois, the National Front finds itself without a high-caliber candidate and might not replicate the high score achieved in 2002 by its protege.
Some uncertainties also remain regarding the other candidatures from 2002, with the best barely surpassing 1% in the first round, and who might potentially lend support to one of the favorites closer to their political ideas.
A promising women’s duel seems to be brewing in the 2nd Nice constituency, which should see MMM and Dominique Boy Mottard facing off in a second round that promises an exciting electoral contest in the city center of Nice.
