Internal Divisions Threaten PAN Comeback in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The National Action Party (PAN) in Playa del Carmen is struggling to remain politically relevant as it approaches the 2027 municipal election, burdened by internal divisions and poll numbers that place it far behind the ruling Morena party.

While Mayor Estefanía Mercado Asencio has consolidated her position as one of the strongest figures of Morena in Quintana Roo, the PAN — which governed the city until 2024 under Roxana Lili Campos Miranda — appears increasingly sidelined. According to GobernArte polls from May and June 2026, Morena leads with roughly 30 to 31 percent support, while the PAN trails with 17 to 18 percent. Between 25 and 28 percent of respondents said they would not vote for any party, a share of the electorate the PAN has failed to convert into support.

The party’s most visible figures are two municipal council members: Juan Humberto Novelo Zapata and Danna Felisa Ramírez Saldaña. Novelo, a state councilor and president of the Indigenous Affairs Commission, has made neighborhood outreach his signature. Ramírez, who has led the party’s municipal committee since September 2025, also serves in the council. Analysts and party insiders say the 2027 nominee could come from their ranks, but the party’s internal wounds remain open.

Division runs deep

Ramírez defeated Jimena Arana in a closed internal election to head the municipal committee, but tensions persist between longtime PAN members and those who arrived through the PRI-PAN alliance. A dispute after Campos’ 2024 loss exposed those divisions: when her substitute, Kira Iris San, tried to keep the council seat, the PAN challenged the move and the state electoral tribunal ruled in favor of the next candidate on the list, allowing Ramírez to take office.

In February 2026, national and state PAN leaders — including Juan Carlos Terrazas of the party’s national executive, state leader Reyna Tamayo and Senator Mayuli Martínez — declared Playa del Carmen an “absolute priority” for 2027. They promised permanent outreach brigades and a plan to double the party’s support from 18 percent to 33 percent. So far, those promises have not translated into visible results.

State-level rivalries add pressure

The PAN’s local challenges are compounded by a power struggle at the state level. Tamayo, who leads the state committee and serves as a local deputy, faces accusations of nepotism and of concentrating power within a small circle. Her gubernatorial aspirations for 2027 put her in conflict with Senator Mayuli Martínez, who polls more strongly. The friction has left the municipal party without clear resources or coordination.

Membership data illustrates the party’s weakness: Playa del Carmen has only about 240 registered PAN affiliates, according to 2025 figures, making it difficult to fill an assembly, let alone mount a competitive campaign.

A difficult climb ahead

The party has also struggled to overcome its 2024 defeat. The 4T alliance, led by Morena, took nearly 75,000 votes while the PAN-PRI alliance managed just over 49,000. Since then, the PAN has tried to rally voters around issues like insecurity and poor public services, but Mayor Mercado’s approval remains high.

With the 2027 election just under a year away, the PAN has time to reset. But so far, the signs point to a party that remains wounded, divided and increasingly distant from power in one of Quintana Roo’s most important cities.