Madrid Voters to Reward Sanchez Rival Who Kept the Economy Open
- Right-wing leader is on track to strengthen her hold on power
- Ayuso has supported bars and restaurants throughout pandemic
Isabel Diaz Ayuso
Photographer: Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty Images
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In less than two years, Isabel Diaz Ayuso has emerged from relative obscurity to lead Spain’s most important region and become Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s most combative opponent.
On Tuesday, the candidate from the conservative People’s Party will be seeking to cement her control of Madrid’s regional government in a snap election that highlights the dividing lines in Spanish politics. Ayuso, 42, is running under the slogan “Communism or Freedom” -- portraying herself as the defender of the rights of Madrilenos against the overreaching national government, led by Sanchez’s Socialists.