Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, the Renaissance candidate, led the first round of the partial legislative election in Loiret's 1st constituency, with around 34% of the votes according to sources. She outpolled Rassemblement National's Tiffanie Rabault and Socialist Ghislaine Kounowski. The second round is set for January 25.
The partial legislative election in Loiret's 1st constituency, held on January 18, 2026, saw Health Minister Stéphanie Rist take first place in the first round. First elected in 2017, this rheumatologist is a key figure of Macronism in the department. According to Le Figaro, she garnered 33.9% of votes cast, ahead of Tiffanie Rabault (RN, 27.2%) and Ghislaine Kounowski (PS, 27.1%). Le Monde reports 35% for Rist, 29.4% for Rabault, and 25.3% for Kounowski, both citing the Loiret prefecture. Houari Belgherbi (LFI) received between 5.4% and 7.1%, while Nicole Maurice (Reconquête!) got 4.8% to 4.9%.
The election was triggered by Rist's substitute refusing to replace her in the National Assembly after her government appointment. The minister has pledged to resign if defeated. If she wins, she plans to appoint a new substitute, Marie-Philippe Lubet, mayor of Saint-Denis-en-Val for Horizons.
Rist has recently dealt with a strike by liberal doctors. In July 2024, she narrowly led Kounowski in the first round (31.6% vs. 31.5%), with the latter withdrawing to block Rabault (28%). The second round will pit the main candidates on January 25.
