Latgale sends new faces to parliament: a brewer, a car enthusiast and an advocate for Russian-speaking seniors
In the 15th Saeima elections, Latgale elected several candidates new to parliament but already known locally as activists, while the Greens and Farmers Union suffered a total collapse. Voter turnout in the region remains low.
The Latgale electoral district will send several new faces to the 15th Saeima — people not previously seated in parliament, though most are already familiar figures within the region.
Winners
The party Latvia First won the district, provisionally taking five of 12 seats. Within the party, Daugavpils public relations specialist Olga Petkeviča outperformed Rēzekne politician Aleksandrs Bartaševičs, who recorded the highest number of negative votes on the list. Petkeviča built her profile by supporting Russian-speaking seniors, arguing that elderly residents should not be expected to speak the state language.
The United List was the only sitting coalition party to clear the 5% threshold in Daugavpils. Its new representative, Valdis Kotāns, is linked to the automotive and motorcycling community, and his activity may have helped boost turnout in Rēzekne. The United List also won in the Balvi, Preiļi and Līvāni municipalities, where New Unity unexpectedly lost ground despite relying on well-known local politicians.
In northern Latgale, strong support went to figures associated with the socially active farm "Kotiņi." The National Alliance's new Latgale representative for the next four years will be Rolands Keišs, a beer brewer and wedding host.
Representatives of Sovereign Power/New Latvians remain less known to the wider public, and their grasp of the state language could become a challenge during their term.
Losers
Seats were lost by poet Anna Rancāne (New Unity), physician Līga Kozlovska (Greens and Farmers Union) and former Latgale subcommittee head Edmunds Teirumnieks (National Alliance) — largely because they had low visibility, particularly on social media.
The biggest loser both in Latgale and nationally was the Greens and Farmers Union, which dropped from three seats to zero.
The Stability! party, which failed to enter parliament, still drew about five thousand votes in Latgale, including 10% support in Daugavpils.
Overall, Latgale's electorate as a whole could also be called a loser, as most eligible voters stayed home, continuing a decline in regional turnout.
