Neuquén's Peronists have begun discussing 2027 with a demand that could reshape their relationship with Governor Rolando Figueroa. Luis “Pichi” Sagaseta, president of the provincial PJ congress, called for separate candidates for governor and deputy governor, provincial legislators, mayors and councillors in all 52 municipalities. The aim is to prevent the party from becoming a collector list subordinated to La Neuquinidad and to recover an electoral identity weakened by divisions and defeats.
The dispute runs through the party's renewed structure. Vista Alegre Mayor José “El Turco” Asaad leads the provincial council and is close to Figueroa, but his sector failed to control the congress, which authorises fronts and alliances. Sagaseta, linked to the group led by Lorena Parrilli, said the two leadership bodies have no regular dialogue despite attempts at rapprochement after internal authorities were renewed.
The split dates to the 2023 election. One part of the PJ backed the current governor and later joined his administration; another resisted integration and argued that the party needed its own alternative. Provincial officials of Peronist origin include Tanya Bertoldi and Lorena Barabini. The congress faction says individual participation cannot become a strategy that dissolves the PJ's ability to field candidates and compete for power.
The demand covers every category because leaders fear that an agreement limited to the provincial ticket would empty local lists. The election may be brought forward to March 2027, although no call has yet been issued. If that calendar is confirmed, a decree would be needed around December, shortening the time for alliances, primaries and territorial organisation. The party congress will therefore begin regional meetings before the schedule is fixed.
Names are already emerging for Neuquén city. Lorena Parrilli is promoted by Sagaseta's group, while provincial deputy Darío “Pampa” Peralta has also expressed ambitions. In Cutral Co, Ramón Rioseco remains central and could seek another municipal term. The debate is not only about competitive candidates; it must determine whether they will be chosen through primaries, consensus or alliances that preserve the PJ label in each district.
The electoral starting point is difficult. Fuerza Patria finished third in the 2025 legislative election, behind La Libertad Avanza and La Neuquinidad, and won no national seat. Its only deputy, Pablo Todero, ends his term in 2027, while Peronism has no senator. In the provincial legislature, its three deputies have not always acted together, weakening the party's opposition capacity.
National alignments do not resolve the internal dispute. Sagaseta remains close to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner; Darío Martínez has attended events linked to Axel Kicillof; Asaad has also expressed a preference for the Buenos Aires governor. Agreement on national politics coexists with concrete provincial differences: relations with Figueroa, control of alliances and the autonomy of Peronist mayors and legislators.
The next step is a series of regional meetings beginning in Confluencia and leading to a party congress resolution. Delegates must decide whether separate PJ lists become a mandatory condition for any front or remain open to district-by-district deals. Neuquén's PJ wants a recognisable electoral offer, but first must resolve its contradiction: participating in provincial power without disappearing inside the force that governs it.
