Meet the 90-year-old woman from Malaga aiming to be president of Andalucía
Never too old for politics: María Luz Gómez, born in 1935, leads the candidate list for independent party For a Fairer World, which calls for more inclusion of older people in today's society
Every morning at Guijarro, a bakery that is an institution in La Cala del Moral (they say a baker first set up shop on the site in 1852), you’ll find María Luz Gómez Martín indulging in her daily weakness: a pastry after her traditional bread and olive oil.
To her, the bakery is proof that being a "classic" doesn't mean being "old" - a philosophy she applies to her own life as she prepares to blow out 91 candles this year.
María is a woman defined by movement. When she isn't stepping around the rocks on the coastal path to Rincón de la Victoria or heading to the Avante Claro beach bar, she is pacing her living room with an energy that belies her birthdate.
When women had no right to open their own bank account, she worked hard, becoming a chartered accountant.
Born in Granada in 1935, her life is a map of modern Spanish history. She was an infant during the Civil War and a young woman during the decades of the Franco dictatorship - an era where she defied social norms by earning a business degree and working as an accountant at a time when women couldn't even open bank accounts without a husband’s permission.
Now, decades after raising six children and witnessing the first moon landing, she has set her sights on a new, historic goal: becoming the President of the Junta de Andalucía.
Running as the head of the list for Malaga for the Por Un Mundo Más Justo (M+J) party in the 17 May elections, María is shattering political records. She is older than veteran politicians like Manuel Fraga or Miguel Ángel Revilla were during their final runs, but she rejects the very concept of "old age," calling it an "awful term."
Related story
Andalucía calls regional government elections on 17 May
She joined the political arena six years ago specifically to give a voice to the elderly, a group she believes society has pushed into the shadows.
Her campaign is a blend of the modern and the timeless. While her grandchildren have helped her launch a TikTok account under the hopeful slogan "Con María Luz al Parlamento Andaluz," María herself relies on the power of the human voice. She campaigns at the supermarket, in taxi cabs, and on the seafront, treating every conversation as an opportunity to build a fairer world.
"To vote is to believe you’re alive," she says, her ideology rooted in simple priorities, respect, and education. As she prepares for the election surrounded by her 14 grandchildren, she offers a blunt piece of wisdom to the youth who watch her: growing old is not a burden, but the ultimate ambition. "If you don't grow old," she says with a smile, "you're dead, kid!"
"Grandma for Junta president!"
As Victoria, one of María Luz’s 14 grandchildren, watches her grandmother hold court in the garden, she doesn’t miss a single word. "Grandma’s going to be president!" she exclaims with a pride that only a child - or a truly inspired voter - could muster.
While Victoria’s spontaneous outburst would make a fantastic campaign slogan, the Por Un Mundo Más Justo (M+J) party has opted for something a bit more rhythmic for the 17 May 2026 regional elections: “Con María Luz al Parlamento Andaluz” (With María Luz to the Andalusian Parliament).
The official campaign launch took place in María’s own garden, where her family and a dedicated group of roughly 30 supporters gathered. Though M+J is a smaller party, claiming about 900 members across Spain, their ambition for this race is massive. They have even modernized the 90-year-old’s outreach by creating a TikTok account, though María remains a devotee of the "old ways."
"I want my voice to be so loud that I can unlock a door and walk out into a fairer and better world for all, young and old, everyone included," she says, her face illuminated by a genuine, unshakeable hope.
For María, digital algorithms will never replace the power of a face-to-face conversation. She is a tireless campaigner of the streets, spreading her message to the taxi driver, the baker, and fellow shoppers at the supermarket. She admits that every time she speaks with someone, she feels an renewed, urgent need to build a society rooted in justice.
In a world of calculated soundbites and cynical electoral strategies, María Luz stands apart. Placing her hand firmly over her heart, she offers her final guiding principle for the road to the ballot box: "Absolutely everything has to come from here.""
