{"id":37380,"date":"2026-03-15T17:21:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/marseille-mayor-races-neck-and-neck-with-far-right-challenger-in-french-election\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T17:21:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:21:13","slug":"marseille-mayor-races-neck-and-neck-with-far-right-challenger-in-french-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/marseille-mayor-races-neck-and-neck-with-far-right-challenger-in-french-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Marseille Mayor Races Neck-and-Neck with Far-Right Challenger in French Election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

PARIS, March 15 – Exit polling data released Sunday revealed a razor-thin contest between the current leftist mayor Benoit Payan and National Rally representative Franck Allisio in the opening round of Marseille’s mayoral race, with both candidates running nearly even in France’s second-most populous city.<\/p>

The National Rally, a far-right political party, has positioned this Marseille contest as a crucial gauge of their political momentum leading up to France’s 2027 presidential campaign.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Exit polling reveals a dead heat between leftist incumbent Benoit Payan and far-right National Rally candidate Franck Allisio in Marseille’s mayoral race. The contest in France’s second-largest city serves as a crucial test for the National Rally ahead of the 2027 presidential race.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":37379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773609672956.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-9IU","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":34951,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/far-right-candidate-challenges-socialist-mayor-in-frances-marseille\/","url_meta":{"origin":37380,"position":0},"title":"Far-Right Candidate Challenges Socialist Mayor in France’s Marseille","author":"Admin","date":"March 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A far-right National Rally candidate is tied with the incumbent Socialist mayor in polls ahead of Marseille's mayoral election this Sunday. Security concerns and drug-related violence have become central campaign issues in France's second-largest city.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773300974976.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":37173,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/frances-municipal-elections-test-far-right-power-before-presidential-race\/","url_meta":{"origin":37380,"position":1},"title":"France’s Municipal Elections Test Far-Right Power Before Presidential Race","author":"Admin","date":"March 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"French citizens are voting in municipal elections that serve as a crucial indicator of far-right political strength ahead of next year's presidential contest. 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Major cities including Paris and Marseille will head to runoffs on March 22, with results seen as a preview of the 2027 presidential race.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773751053901.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773751053901.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773751053901.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773751053901.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37223,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/french-municipal-elections-begin-ahead-of-2027-presidential-race\/","url_meta":{"origin":37380,"position":3},"title":"French Municipal Elections Begin Ahead of 2027 Presidential Race","author":"Admin","date":"March 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"French citizens cast ballots Sunday in municipal elections across the country, selecting local leadership from villages to major cities. The results will be closely watched as an early indicator for the 2027 presidential election when Emmanuel Macron's term ends.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773563798743.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773563798743.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773563798743.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1773563798743.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40965,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/french-local-elections-signal-shifts-ahead-of-2027-presidential-race\/","url_meta":{"origin":37380,"position":4},"title":"French Local Elections Signal Shifts Ahead of 2027 Presidential Race","author":"Admin","date":"March 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday's mayoral runoff elections across France delivered mixed results that could reshape expectations for the 2027 presidential contest. 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