2026 legislative elections. PJD unveils its heavyweights in first slate of 40 candidates

The countdown has begun within the PJD. Meeting on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in its capacity as the party’s nomination body, the general secretariat, chaired by Abdelilah Benkirane, settled nominations in nearly half of the country’s local constituencies. After marathon deliberations and a secret-ballot vote, 40 candidates received the party’s official endorsement for the legislative elections scheduled for September 23, 2026.

In this first round, the PJD did not play it safe. The party chose to rely on its “trusted cadres” and its most seasoned voices. Unsurprisingly, Abdellah Bouanou, the current head of the party’s parliamentary group, will once again seek votes in Meknes.

Alongside him, other prominent figures are returning to the front line: former minister Driss El Azami El Idrissi, recently interviewed by Médias24 on its Le 12/13 programme, has been nominated in Skhirat-Témara, while Amina Maelainine will contest the race in Casablanca, more specifically in the Aïn Chock constituency. Also worth noting is the presence of preacher Abouzaid El Mokrie El Idrissi, who remains the party’s pick in El Jadida after boycotting the previous election of September 8, 2021, as well as Mustapha Ibrahimi in Kenitra.

The endorsements announced this weekend cover a large part of the country, from urban strongholds to rural areas. In Casablanca, one of the party’s strongholds, the party has selected Abdessamad Haiker (Anfa) and Fatmi Ramid (Al Fida Mers-Sultan).

The biggest surprise of this first round is the endorsement of Samir Chaouki in the Hay Hassani constituency in Casablanca. A journalist, writer and founding president of the think tank OMEGA, Center for Economy & Geopolitics Research, his nomination sends a strong signal of the party’s willingness to attract elite figures from diverse backgrounds.

In the North and the Oriental region, the party is fielding Mohamed Bouzidane in Tangier-Asilah and Abdellah El Hamel in Oujda. The South is also represented, with the candidacies of El Batoul Bladi in Tan-Tan and Ahmed Adrak in Inzegane-Aït Melloul having been approved.

In accordance with the party’s statutes, these choices are not made by the national leadership alone. The general secretariat says these nominations follow proposals put forward by the provincial general assemblies. The secret ballot within the nomination body serves as a final filter to ensure, according to the party, the democratic legitimacy of its representatives.

While this first list of 40 names sets the tone for the campaign ahead, the process is far from over. The PJD still has to decide on the remaining 52 local constituencies, as well as the 12 regional lists (dedicated to women’s representation).