The National Rally (RN), a right-wing political party in France, is focusing on mayors without political party affiliations as it prepares for the upcoming senatorial elections on September 27. The party is aiming to strengthen its presence in the Senate by encouraging independent mayors, especially in rural areas, to align with the RN. Some of these mayors ran independently in the March municipal elections and are now formally or informally joining the RN's efforts. The party's goal is to secure enough seats to form a parliamentary group, which would give it more influence in legislative matters. To achieve this, the RN has created 650 candidate lists, a number described by the party as "unprecedented." A key part of their strategy is based on the idea that electing a mayor indirectly supports the election of a senator. This is because, in France, mayors can be chosen as senators through a system called "indirect election." Julien Sanchez, the party's European deputy, emphasized the strategic importance of this approach. The RN has also introduced a charter for candidates without party labels, encouraging them to support the party's list in the senatorial elections. However, despite the party's efforts, few candidates have signed the charter, according to Guillaume Letourneur, a political science expert. This suggests that while the RN is trying to attract independent mayors, the response has been limited. In the Gironde region, which has been hit hard by the wine industry crisis and the loss of public services, the RN has focused on recruiting independent mayors. Edwige Diaz, a deputy and head of the RN list in the area, has targeted mayors without party ties, with six of her seven running mates not affiliated with the RN. Some were convinced through personal connections, while others were directly approached by Diaz. In the Médoc, Philippe Buggin, a winemaker and mayor of Saint-Germain-d'Esteuil, joined the RN list despite initial hesitation, believing it reflected his voters’ preferences, who support the RN at over 70% in his commune. In Artigues-de-Lussac, mayor Sophie Delcourt joined Edwige Diaz’s list without informing the municipal council, sparking local controversy. The council called for her resignation, but she insists her decision does not involve the town hall. In the Vendée, Olivier Dalmasso, the mayor of Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard, announced his support for the RN list, citing personal meetings with party officials. In the Sarthe, Virginie de Gaulle, the great-niece of General Charles de Gaulle, is in third place on the RN list led by Marie-Caroline Le Pen. In the Calvados, Pascal Cotard, mayor of Amayé-sur-Seulles, has joined the RN list, becoming the first territory under the party's control in the department. Guillaume Hédouin, an ecologist regional councilor in Normandy, noted that the RN has a two-pronged strategy: presenting public lists and also enlisting unlabelled candidates and sympathizers who will support the party at key moments. If the RN succeeds in forming a group in the Senate, it could gain more influence to challenge environmental policies, especially given the chamber’s current right-leaning bias.