Daniel Gibbs’ election as a senator: ‘The great victory is democracy’
On Sunday 27 September 2026, half of the Senate – 178 out of 348 seats – was renewed by indirect universal suffrage. In Saint Martin, the 25 electors chose Daniel Gibbs to represent the territory at the Palais du Luxembourg.
Daniel Gibbs thus becomes the first elected representative from Saint Martin to have successively served in the National Assembly (2012 to 2017), chaired the Collectivité of Saint Martin (2017 to 2022) and joined the Senate.
The opposition councillor was elected in the second round with 13 votes, compared with 11 for Valérie Damaseau, the candidate backed by the majority. One ballot paper was declared invalid. Daniel Gibbs succeeds Annick Pétrus, who had received three votes in the first round before deciding not to stand in the second.
A turnaround between the two rounds
The first round had, however, seen Valérie Damaseau take a clear lead with 11 votes, ahead of Daniel Gibbs, who received six. Raphaël Sanchez received four votes, Annick Pétrus three and Bernadette Venthou-Dumaine one. As no candidate met the requirements to be elected in the first round, a second ballot had to be held that very afternoon. The balance of power was then completely reversed. Valérie Damaseau retained her 11 votes, whilst Daniel Gibbs’s tally rose from six to thirteen. Whilst the support expressed in the first round for the two finalists remained unchanged, seven of the eight votes that had gone to the eliminated or withdrawn candidates therefore went to Daniel Gibbs, with the final vote being a invalid ballot.
This result is all the more significant given that Daniel Gibbs currently sits in the opposition on the Territorial Council and that he necessarily had to secure votes from beyond his own camp to reach 13 votes.
A call for humility and unity
Following the vote, the new senator called for “remaining humble in victory”, stating that “the great victory is democracy”. For Daniel Gibbs, his election precisely reflects the ability of elected representatives to transcend political affiliations: “We needed the support of elected representatives other than those in the opposition. We achieved that, and that is democracy. For a member of the opposition to be elected, we needed the support of part of the majority. They played their part in the democratic process, and I am very grateful to them.” He also insists that this result must not lead to a confrontational approach within the Territorial Council. “We will not be a blocking majority,” he asserts, stating his intention to act “in the interests of the deliberations” and of the territory.
For the former president of the Collectivité, this election therefore marks both a return to the national political stage and a new balance of power at local level, less than six months ahead of the territorial elections in March 2027.
The right and the centre retain their majority in the Senate
At national level, this election has not significantly altered the overall balance of power in the Upper House. The right and the centre remain in the majority, despite a decline in the strength of the Les Républicains group.
One of the main changes resulting from this election lies in the rise of the National Rally and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic. With at least 15 senators between them, they now have enough elected members to form a parliamentary group – a first for the RN in the Senate. La France insoumise has also made its debut in the Senate with the election of its first senator. The new terms of office will begin on Thursday 1 October and last for six years. The election of the President of the Senate is also due to take place on the same day, with Gérard Larcher standing for re-election.
