Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of Ariège's hunting federation and a candidate in the department's senatorial election on Sunday, September 27, 2026, has picked Delphine Massat as his running mate.
Three months ago, when Fernandez announced his surprise candidacy, he did not yet know who his running mate would be, and the two had never met. Massat, 43, is not a well known political figure in Ariège, a department in the Occitanie region of southern France on the border with Spain and Andorra.
Who is Delphine Massat
Massat's political career is recent. After a first term as a local councillor, she is in her first months as first deputy mayor of Trémoulet and also sits on the Communauté de communes des Portes d'Ariège Pyrénées, a grouping of municipalities in the area.
Before settling on Massat, Fernandez had first approached Josiane Gouze-Fauré, president of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He ultimately chose Massat instead. Although far more reserved than Fernandez, who is known for his outspoken, colourful style, she met several of his criteria. He wanted a woman who shared his views for the department and who was established in an area where his own support was weaker.
Fernandez explains his choice
Fernandez said every candidate had looked for a running mate based in the part of the department opposite to where they themselves lived, and that he had done the same, looking at interested women particularly in lower Ariège, where he hopes to find some support. He said he had been told that the first deputy mayor of Trémoulet was a good person, composed and intelligent, and someone he could count on.
French senators are not elected directly by voters but by an electoral college of local officials, known as grands électeurs, made up mostly of municipal councillors. Senate elections are held in stages across France roughly every three years.
Balancing family, work and politics
Massat is the mother of two daughters, aged 15 and 10. She said she had not expected to take on such a venture and now has to balance family life, her career and politics. She said it was not easy but that she was fortunate to have a husband who backed and supported her.
Massat has worked for around fifteen years as a human resources manager for Ariège's electric utilities. She said she had become caught up in the campaign as the weeks passed, describing herself as very enthusiastic and increasingly convinced that the pair could achieve something.
A dispute on the left
Fernandez said he was convinced he could make his mark in the current political landscape largely because of a dispute among his rivals. The outgoing senator, Jean-Jacques Michau, has maintained his own candidacy even though the Socialist Party's endorsement went to Kamel Chibli.
Fernandez questioned what the average voter would make of that quarrel, saying it would bring sanctions and was counterproductive for the party, and that even its most committed members were troubled by it. He said the situation left room for candidates like himself and Massat.
The result of the senatorial election in Ariège will be known on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
