León (Senate constituency)

For the Congress of Deputies constituency, see León (Congress of Deputies constituency). For the Cortes of Castile and León constituency, see León (Cortes of Castile and León constituency).

León
Senate of Spain Electoral constituency
Location of León within Spain
Province	León
Autonomous community	Castile and León
Population	446,445 (2024)
Electorate	422,917 (2023)
Major settlements	León, Ponferrada
Current constituency
Created	1977
Seats	4
Members	PP (3)   PSOE (1)

León is one of the 59 constituencies represented in the Senate of Spain, the upper chamber of the Spanish parliament, the Cortes Generales. The constituency (whose boundaries correspond to those of the homonymous province) elects four senators. The electoral system uses open list partial block voting, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. Electors can vote for up to three candidates.

Electoral system

The constituency was created as per the Political Reform Law and was first contested in the 1977 general election. The Law provided for the provinces of Spain to be established as multi-member districts in the Senate, with this regulation being maintained under the Spanish Constitution of 1978. Additionally, the Constitution requires for any modification of the provincial limits to be approved under an organic law, needing an absolute majority in the Cortes Generales.

Voting is based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age with full political rights, provided that they have not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence. The only exception was in 1977, when this was limited to nationals over 21 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political and civil rights. Amendments in 2011 required non-resident citizens to apply for voting, a system known as "begged" voting (Spanish: Voto rogado). which was abolished in 2022. Further, amendments in 2018 granted the right to vote to those legally incapacitated. 209 Senate seats (207 in 1977, 208 from 1978 to 2026) are elected using open-list partial block voting: voters in constituencies electing four seats can choose up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, up to two; and in single-member districts, one. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces is allocated four seats, while in insular provinces—such as the Balearic and Canary Islands—the districts are the islands themselves, with the larger ones (Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife) being allocated three seats each, and the smaller ones (Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma) one each. Ceuta and Melilla elect two seats each. Until 1985, the law also provided for by-elections to fill Senate seats vacated up to two years into the legislature; subsequently, any vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term are filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes.

The electoral law allows for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance are required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 10 days of the election call—15 before 1985—whereas groupings of electors need to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they seek election—one permille of the electorate, with a compulsory minimum of 500 signatures, until 1985—disallowing electors from signing for more than one list. Also since 2011, parties, federations or alliances that have not obtained a mandate in either chamber of the Cortes at the preceding election are required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of electors in the aforementioned constituencies. Amendments in 2007 required a balanced composition of men and women in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition; further amendments in 2024 required the use of a zipper system.

Senators

Senators for León 1977–
Key to parties   PSOE   INDEP   UCD   PP   CP   AP
Legislature	Election	Distribution
Constituent	1977	1 3
1st	1979	1 3
2nd	1982	3 1
3rd	1986	3 1
4th	1989	3 1
5th	1993	1 3
6th	1996	1 3
7th	2000	1 3
8th	2004	3 1
9th	2008	3 1
10th	2011	1 3
11th	2015	1 3
12th	2016	1 3
13th	2019 (Apr)	3 1
14th	2019 (Nov)	2 2
15th	2023	1 3

General elections

2023

Summary of the 23 July 2023 Senate of Spain election results

Candidates	Parties and coalitions		Popular vote
			Votes	%
Y Antonio Silván Rodríguez		PP	99,249	37.35
Y María Asunción Mayo Fernández		PP	97,193	36.57
Y Jorge García Vega		PP	95,461	35.92
Y Salvador Vidal Varela		PSOE	88,536	33.32
• María del Carmen Morán Franco		PSOE	86,342	32.49
• Manuel Alfonso González		PSOE	82,458	31.03
• Javier Callado Cobo		UPL	32,183	12.11
• Mónica Rey García		UPL	28,342	10.66
• Francisco José García Paramio		Vox	28,075	10.56
• María Montserrat Carbajo Carro		UPL	26,314	9.90
• Lope Arcos García		Vox	24,934	9.38
• Silvia Ordás Merino		Vox	24,428	9.19
• Carmen Monteira De La Fuente		Sumar	19,024	7.15
• Raúl Fuentes Carro		Sumar	14,354	5.40
• Joaquín Rodero Carretero		Sumar	13,031	4.90
• María Begoña Fernández García		PACMA	1,636	0.61
• Esther Domínguez Jové		EV	1,557	0.58
• Catalina Antúnez García		PREPAL	1,022	0.38
• David López Vara		PACMA	899	0.33
• Mónica Ruiz Rico		PACMA	837	0.31
• Pedro Gómez García		PCTE	821	0.30
• José Rubén Sánchez Bravo		EV	714	0.26
• Jesús Fernández Villar		PREPAL	503	0.18
• Enrique Carlos Abad Martínez		PUM+J	419	0.15
• María Menéndez Menéndez		Recortes Cero	252	0.09
Blank ballots			3,489	1.31
Total			772,073
Valid votes			265,702	98.10
Invalid votes			5,134	1.89
Votes cast / turnout			270,836	72.92
Abstentions			100,577	27.07
Registered voters			371,413
Sources

November 2019

Summary of the 10 November 2019 Senate of Spain election results in León

Candidates	Parties and coalitions		Popular vote
			Votes	%
Y Salvador Vidal Varela		PSOE	88,069	34.01
Y María del Carmen Morán Franco		PSOE	86,327	33.34
Y Javier Santiago Vélez		PP	85,666	33.08
Y Antonio Silván Rodríguez		PP	85,627	33.07
• Constantino Marcos Álvarez		PSOE	83,162	32.12
• María Mar González Pereda		PP	75,472	29.15
• Carlos Pollán Fernández		Vox	34,919	13.49
• Pabel Enrique Albán Ramírez		Podemos–IU	23,498	9.07
• Javier Arias Blanco		Podemos–IU	21,438	8.28
• Tamara Sánchez Carrera		Podemos–IU	21,410	8.27
• María del Mar Ordóñez Álvarez		Cs	20,821	8.04
• Sigifredo Benavides Fernández		Cs	16,215	6.26
• Roberto Aller Llanos		UPL	15,735	6.08
• Francisco Javier Panizo García		Cs	14,705	5.68
• Laura López Andrés		UPL	12,538	4.84
• Félix José Pérez Echevarría		UPL	10,121	3.91
• Nuria Alcántara Fernández		PACMA	3,363	1.30
• Alberto Lancha Blanco		PACMA	1,905	0.74
• Catalina Antúnez García		PREPAL	1,781	0.69
• Gloria Cristina Morales Conde		PACMA	1,705	0.66
• Jesús Fernández Villar		PREPAL	850	0.33
• José Manuel Real Fernández		PUM+J	784	0.30
• Manuel Matilla Pérez		PREPAL	624	0.24
• Alberto Sánchez Oveja		R. Cero–GV–PCAS–TC	490	0.19
Blank ballots			5,509	2.13
Total			258,943
Valid votes			258,943	97.76
Invalid votes			5,927	2.24
Votes cast / turnout			264,870	61.30
Abstentions			167,203	38.70
Registered voters			432,073
Sources

Bibliography

• Ley 1/1977, de 4 de enero, para la Reforma Política (Fundamental Law 1/1977). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 4 January 1977. BOE-A-1977-165. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
• Real Decreto-ley 20/1977, de 18 de marzo, sobre Normas Electorales (Royal Decree-Law 20/1977). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 18 March 1977. BOE-A-1977-7445. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
• Constitución Española (Constitution). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 27 December 1978. BOE-A-1978-31229. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
• Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5/1985). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. BOE-A-1985-11672. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
• Carreras de Odriozola, Albert; Tafunell Sambola, Xavier (2005) [1989]. Estadísticas históricas de España, siglos XIX-XX (PDF) (in Spanish). Vol. 1 (II ed.). Bilbao: Fundación BBVA. pp. 1072–1097. ISBN 84-96515-00-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.