1991 Riojan regional election

1991 Riojan regional election

26 May 1991

All 33 seats in the General Deputation of La Rioja
17 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered210,080 4.1%
Turnout144,729 (68.9%)
3.6 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader José Ignacio Pérez Sáenz Joaquín Espert Leopoldo Virosta
Party PSOE PP PR+
Leader since 1987 1983 23 June 1990
Last election 14 seats, 39.6% 13 seats, 38.1% 2 seats, 6.4%
Seats won 16 15 2
Seat change 2 2 0
Popular vote 60,843 59,876 7,731
Percentage 42.4% 41.7% 5.4%
Swing 2.8 pp 3.6 pp 1.0 pp

President before election

José Ignacio Pérez Sáenz
PSOE

Elected President

José Ignacio Pérez Sáenz
PSOE

The 1991 Riojan regional election was held on Sunday, 26 May 1991, to elect the 3rd General Deputation of the autonomous community of La Rioja. All 33 seats in the General Deputation were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) saw an increase in support and obtained 16 seats, one short of an overall majority. The newly founded People's Party (PP), whose leader Joaquín Espert had lost the regional government in 1990 to a motion of no confidence, won two additional seats compared to People's Alliance's results in 1987, for a total of 15. The Riojan Party (PR) was able to maintain its 2 seats after a convoluted legislature, while United Left remained 0.5 percentage points short of entering the General Deputation. The Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) did not reach the required 5% threshold either and lost all its seats.

As a result of the election, the incumbent PSOE–PR coalition, led by regional premier and PSOE leader José Ignacio Pérez Sáenz, was re-elected for a full term in office. This would be the last time that the PSOE would win a regional election and would be able to form a government in La Rioja until 2019.