What the commission changed

The PSOE's Federal List Commission, which operates under the leadership of Pedro Sánchez, amended on Friday, 16 October 2026 the candidate lists that the party's Castilla y León branch had agreed the day before for the general elections of 29 November. Europa Press, citing socialist sources, reported that the commission took Luis Tudanca, a former regional secretary general, off the top of the Senate list for Burgos. Tudanca had held a Senate seat through regional appointment from April 2025 until September 2026, when the regional leadership named Clara Martín to the post.

Aitana Hernando, a mayor in Burgos province, will now head the Senate list, with Jesús Puente listed second according to ABC. Several outlets reported that Tudanca had been the candidate most backed by party members in Burgos, and El Mundo noted that Hernando ranked third in the members' preferences. Regional sources told ABC that only two of the 18 Congress and Senate lists sent from Castilla y León were altered.

Palencia and the vote of the members

The commission also replaced the first name on the Palencia Congress list. Mariluz Martínez Seijo, a sitting deputy, takes the top slot instead of Álvaro Bilbao, a councillor in Palencia city who had been chosen by members. In the provincial committee, Bilbao's proposal won 77 votes in favour and one abstention, and in the Palencia city branch he took 126 votes against 15 for Martínez Seijo, according to eldiario.es.

Álvaro Bilbao126

Mariluz Martínez Seijo15

Álvaro Bilbao

126 votes

Mariluz Martínez Seijo

15 votes

Data from the article text

Miriam Andrés, the provincial secretary and mayor of Palencia city, saw the change as a setback for the members, according to eldiario.es. El Mundo counted it as the fifth consecutive time the national leadership had modified the Palencia list. eldiario.es also reported that Martínez Seijo had headed the Palencia list in each of the last five electoral processes.

Regional leadership and the Soria dispute

Carlos Martínez, the regional PSOE leader, said at a press conference on Thursday, 15 October that Ferraz held the final decision and that he would have to accept it whether he liked it or not. El Mundo reported that the national leadership had wanted Virginia Barcones, secretary general of Civil Protection and Emergencies, at the top of the Soria Congress list, and that Martínez opposed her. The place went instead to Luis Rey, one of the national leadership's closest allies. EFE reported that regional executive sources had defended the names sent by the provinces while respecting the commission's authority to change them.

Timeline to the vote

The Federal Committee meets on Saturday, 17 October, at 10:00 in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, to validate the changes. El Mundo described the session as a routine meeting to ratify the lists, and Europa Press reported that Carlos Martínez would attend. The steps from the September senate appointment to the general elections are set out below.