Overview
- Roughly 220,000 voters in Nice will choose a mayor on March 15 and 22 in a race led by incumbent Christian Estrosi of Horizons and challenger Éric Ciotti of the UDR.
- Estrosi runs with backing from Horizons and Renaissance and a cautious nod from Les Républicains, while Ciotti—who left LR in 2024—campaigns under his UDR banner with support from the RN and Jordan Bardella.
- LR is weakened and split locally, as Ciotti’s UDR has carved out exceptions to its RN alliance by endorsing both RN contenders and select LR figures in the department.
- The left fields multiple separate lists, including Juliette Chesnel‑Le Roux heading a PS‑Ecologists‑PCF slate and Mireille Damiano supported by LFI and the ViVA! collective, with other minor candidates also in the race.
- Rising tensions in the campaign prompted the Alpes‑Maritimes prefect to issue a December call for calm, and observers note a Ciotti win could reshape grands électeurs and weigh on the department’s senatorial outcome.