Marsala heads to the polls for the renewal of mayor and council: four candidates, citizens demand concrete answers.

Just over two months from the municipal elections on May 24 and 25, 2026, Marsala is preparing to choose a new mayor. The picture of the candidates now appears to be defined: in the running are Massimo Grillo, the incumbent mayor and former regional deputy; Andreana Patti, supported by the progressive front; Giulia Adamo, the candidate of the center-right, former mayor and regional deputy; and Leonardo Curatolo, an entrepreneur making his first political experience. Unless there are last-minute surprises, no other names are expected: the deadline for submitting lists is 12 PM on April 26. The city is thus heading towards a complex electoral competition, with four candidates and visions for the future of the city that, in words, appear very similar. The coming weeks, with the presentation of the lists and the official start of the campaign, will better define programs and strategies in view of the vote at the end of May. The people of Marsala have already indicated that they will not settle for promises and grand projects, but concrete solutions to the daily problems of the city.

The electoral campaign has already started on social media, where Grillo and Patti have been active for months. Adamo, after the announcement, has begun to outline the first programmatic points, while Curatolo has intensified his public presence in recent weeks. The debate so far remains civil, with restrained tones and few controversies, awaiting the official start of the campaign after the submission of the lists. In these days, work is mainly focused on defining the lists that will accompany the candidates in the challenge for Palazzo VII Aprile.

The themes at the center of the debate are the expected ones: tourism, port, waste, water services, traffic, agriculture, and the wine sector. Issues that citizens consider priorities, but on which they expect concrete answers and not mere proclamations.

The outgoing mayor Massimo Grillo aims for re-election after the 2020 victory, when he received over 56% of the votes supported by nine lists. This time he was unable to unify the center-right as he tried to do, but he still chose to run with a civic and moderate area. Grillo claims the work done in recent years and bases his campaign on the theme of administrative continuity. He rejects the criticisms from those who accuse him of a late acceleration of government activity, asserting that he has maintained a constant commitment throughout his term.

Called upon by the center-right parties, Giulia Adamo has decided to return to the field, presenting her candidacy as an act of responsibility towards the city. Drawing on her experience as mayor and president of the Province, she states her intention to tackle the structural issues of Marsala: water, roads, port, safety. This is a return after the judicial affair that led to her resignation in 2014, concluded with the overturning of the conviction by the Supreme Court. Although the center-right is not united, Adamo is counting on a coalition that brings together civic lists and local movements.

The first to launch her campaign, already in November Andreana Patti began a listening tour with associations and citizens. A former councilor in Trapani, she was proposed by the civic movement “Si Muove la Città” and then officially endorsed by the progressive front of Marsala, which includes Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra, Movimento 5 Stelle, Partito Democratico, Partito Socialista, and Rifondazione Comunista. Despite being supported by a broad coalition, she asserts a civic and cross-party nature, allowing her to engage with moderate sectors as well. Her program focuses on welfare, urban regeneration, services, and participation.

The fourth candidate is entrepreneur Leonardo Curatolo, who leads the list “Marsala Futura”. After years spent abroad, he claims he wants to contribute to the revitalization of the city, which he believes has been stagnant for too long. While operating within the center-right area, he declined the invitation to support Adamo, choosing to run independently. In recent days, he has issued a call to the other candidates for a public debate on strategic issues, also in relation to the international context.