Ignacio Torres confirmed that Chubut, Río Negro and Neuquén are considering coordinated provincial elections in 2027, with August receiving the strongest support. The decision remains open because it depends on national PASO rules. The political goal is to separate Patagonian debates from the presidential contest.
The governors discussed the issue during the opening of the connection between the Cordillerano and General San Martín gas pipelines. The setting matters because the provinces share energy, infrastructure, revenue-sharing and federal-relations concerns. A coordinated calendar would send a regional signal while preserving different political identities.
August would create distance from the presidential election and allow voters to focus on provincial management, natural resources and services. It could also reduce national coattails. Yet a common date does not mean a common coalition: Torres, Weretilneck and Figueroa lead different political projects.
The PASO decision is decisive. If national primaries are suspended, provinces will need party elections, agreements or their own mechanisms. If they remain, governors must decide whether to overlap or separate them. Regional coordination seeks predictability before federal rules force rushed choices.
In Chubut, Torres is already organizing Despierta Chubut. He backed Eduardo “Lalo” Pérez for mayor of Trevelin and said other candidacies will be selected by competitiveness or internal competition. Most local decisions should be closed within two or three months.
The provincial organization coexists with tension in Rawson. Mayor Damián Biss questions resource distribution and is considering a 2027 alternative. Torres answered by listing provincial works, including a municipal gym, the Trelew-Rawson dual carriageway, electricity infrastructure, lighting, schools, a seawall and a water plant.
The governor also denied a tax debt to Rawson and said the province advanced revenue-sharing funds. The dispute goes beyond accounting: Biss can compete for Radical and local voters, while Torres seeks to prove that provincial investment does not depend on political affiliation.
The next step is whether August becomes a regional date and how each province responds to national PASO rules. Provincializing the election may protect Torres from presidential polarization, but it also forces him to show results and settle local conflicts.
